Far‑right AfD's election win marks a historical shift in Germany

After the regional elections in Saxony and Thuringia, where the far-right AfD received significant support, and the left-wing BSW also saw success, German media report that even though the results are not surprising, they represent "a terrifying watershed in the post-war history of Germany." Commentators also note that they should serve as a warning to supporters of democracy.

The election evening in Saxony and Thuringia signifies not just a crisis for the ruling parties. "It symbolizes a crisis of liberal democracy," wrote the Spiegel portal. AfD is a far-right party, and BSW represents left-wing conservatism. Despite all the profound differences, both parties share a lack of liberalism."

"Can the political center still do anything to win people back? The good news: yes, it can. The bad news: it might take a very long time," noted "Spiegel."

According to forecasts published after the polling stations closed, Alternative for Germany (AfD) won in Thuringia, ahead of the CDU. In Saxony, the Christian Democrats have a slight lead over AfD.

"Migration and war might have been important issues in these elections, but the frustration of most people runs much deeper and is fueled by everyday experiences," stated the portal. "When roads and bridges are destroyed, when there’s no mobile network coverage again when every train journey becomes a lottery, a fundamental feeling arises: everything is falling apart, nothing works anymore, and we are being left behind. And in Berlin, nobody cares anyway."

"The election results in Saxony and Thuringia scream in the face of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government: migration, stupid! But the result must be a warning for all democrats," wrote the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) portal.

The result "is not a surprise. All polls indicated a tsunami of anger and disappointment towards the coalition parties. No matter how hard the ruling parties in Saxony and Thuringia tried to draw voters' attention to the unique features of their regions, federal political issues gave AfD momentum and helped Sahra Wagenknecht's Alliance (...): immigration, internal security, the heating law, rising living costs, relations with Putin’s Russia," FAZ believes.

In the elections in Thuringia and Saxony, "not a stone was left unturned," wrote the RND portal. "This election Sunday is a watershed." For the first time, AfD in Thuringia, a far-right party "with a fascist as the main candidate," won the regional elections. "The three parties SPD, the Greens, and FDP, which form the federal government in Berlin, were crushed. It's hard to imagine more humiliating election results."

"Without a doubt today, on the 85th anniversary of Germany's invasion of Poland, something historic happened in Thuringia," wrote the "Zeit" portal, emphasizing that for the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, a far-right party won the elections. "In Saxony, it appears that an AfD victory was prevented, but by only a small margin of votes."

"This is a terrifying watershed in the post-war history of Germany," concludes the "Zeit" portal.