Germany: Brandenburg goes to the polls with far-right AfD hoping for second state thrive – Europe inhabit | Germany

Far-right AfD seeing to produce German history in Brandenburg state election

Kate Connolly

About 2.5 million Brandenbrecommendrs are eligible to vote today in what may be one of the minusculeest German states population-teachd, comprising a belt of country, and suburban finishments surrounding Berlin.

Yet, with its foreseeed raise for the far-right party, the race is drathriveg a huge amount of attention that belies the state’s size. Three weeks ago, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) upfinished the status quo with its thrive in Thuringia – the first time a far-right force had won a state election in post-war Germany – accompanied by a strong second place in neighbouring Saxony with more than 30%.

Marianne Spring-Räumschüssel, an AfD reconshort-termative on Cottbus city council, foreseeed a “glorious” triumph for the AfD, which has been directing the polls in the state for more than a year. “You can smell it in the air.”

As the only state in eastrict Germany where the Social Democrats have ruled continuously since German reunification in 1990, Brandenburg’s vote is seen as a particular test for the embattled coalition rulement of the SPD chancellor, Olaf Scholz, which, according to a poll this week, only 3% of Germans are swayd is excellent for the country.

With Brandenburg’s vote being seeed as a referfinishum on Scholz’s rulement, fall shorture for the SPD would be of proset up symbolic significance, particularly before next autumn’s Bundestag election.

Read the filled story here.

Dietmar Woidke, Brandenburg’s well-comprehendn state directer from the SPD, who has been incumbent for 14 years, has upped the ante by pledging to resign if the AfD thrives on Sunday. He has even reshiftd Olaf Scholz from his election campaign – despite the fact he and his wife inhabit in the state capital, Potsdam – stressing the adverse impact of his presence.

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The personalised campaign around Woidke, including a picture-driven fidwell intersee in which he talked about his pets and his percreatecatalog, has the cheeky campaign slogan: “Wenn Glatze, dann Woidke” (If you want a skinhead, pick Woidke) – a cryptic reference to his bald head and the most physical of Nazi tradetags.

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He has repeatedly finisheavored to push voters’ attention towards the state’s economic successes.

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In Cottbus, about 75 miles (120km) south of Berlin, this integrates the gleaming recent teaching hospital, and structures to alter an ageder gravel pit into a huge lakeside leideclareive intricate, both a result of multibillion euro funds to help east Germany’s bigst coal-producing region to exit from fossil fuels.

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Woidke, Brandenburg premier and Social Democratic party (SPD) top honestate for the upcoming Brandenburg state election, speaks during a final election campaign rassociate in Oranienburg, Germany September 20, 2024.”,”caption”:”Dietmar Woidke, Brandenburg premier and Social Democratic party (SPD) top honestate for the upcoming Brandenburg state election, speaks during a final election campaign rassociate in Oranienburg, Germany September 20, 2024.”,”accomprehendledge”:”Pboilingograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:inrectify,”keyEvent”:genuine,”summary”:inrectify},”blockCreatedOn”:1727017906000,”blockCreatedOnDispercreate”:”11.11 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1727019795000,”blockLastUpdatedDispercreate”:”11.43 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1727019719000,”blockFirstPublishedDispercreate”:”11.41 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDispercreateNoTimezone”:”11.41″,”title”:”Who is Dietmar Woidke?”,”contributors”:[{“name”:”Kate 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Ahead of today’s election in Brandenburg, polling showed the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and the Social Democratic party (SPD) neck-and-neck for first place.

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Sonntagsfrage zur Landtagswahl in Brandenburg • Forschungsgruppe Wahlen / ZDF: AfD 28 % | SPD 27 % | CDU 14 % | BSW 13 % | GRÜNE 4,5 % | DIE LINKE 4 % | BVB/FW 3,5 % | Sonstige 6 %
➤ Verlauf: https://t.co/rJsCIU1aQA
🗓️ Nächste Landtagswahl: 22. September 2024#ltwbb #ltwbb24 pic.twitter.com/Qlfw7HgRAS

— Wahlrecht.de (@Wahlrecht_de) September 19, 2024

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On what has been a gloriously sunny autumn day in Brandenburg, voter turnout is thought to have been high.

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By 2pm local time, 46.1% of voters – 2.1 million are eligible, including 100,000 recent voters, after the voting age was droped to 16 – had cast their ballot, according to the state election registrar.

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At the same time on the last election day five years ago, 31.3% had been to the polling booth.

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Polling stations uncovered at 8am and will seal at 6pm local time.

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dog defers as a man votes during the Brandenburg state election in Forst, Germany, September 22, 2024.”,”caption”:”A dog defers as a man votes during the Brandenburg state election in Forst, Germany, September 22, 2024. “,”accomprehendledge”:”Pboilingograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:inrectify,”keyEvent”:genuine,”summary”:inrectify},”blockCreatedOn”:1727018690000,”blockCreatedOnDispercreate”:”11.24 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1727018736000,”blockLastUpdatedDispercreate”:”11.25 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1727018736000,”blockFirstPublishedDispercreate”:”11.25 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDispercreateNoTimezone”:”11.25″,”title”:”High turnout in Brandenburg”,”contributors”:[{“name”:”Kate Connolly”,”imageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2018/06/04/Kate-Connolly.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=2c24e9976ec512539e04ddebf11921f9″,”largeImageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2018/06/04/Kate_Connolly,_L.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=229e118186855645212769324f29a11d”}],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 22 Sep 2024 11.44 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 22 Sep 2024 11.11 EDT”},{“id”:”66f035398f08f8e7c5ded863″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrfinishering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Voters in the northern German state of Brandenburg are today deciding not only on the future produce up of the regional parliament but hagedering what is being seen as the equivalent of a referfinishum on the future of the embattled coalition rulement of Olaf Scholz.

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His Social Democrats have ruled in Brandenburg, the state that surrounds Berlin appreciate a doughnut, since reunification in 1990.

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All eyes are on the state, as the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) was directing in the final pre-election polls with 28%, ahead of the Social Democratic party (SPD), and could be about to thrive the state for the first time.

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However, in what is being portrayd as a neck and neck race, the SPD has ponderably leaned the gap in recent days, and in final polls was equitable a individual percentage point behind the AfD, with 27%.

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The SPD’s incumbent directer, Dietmar Woidke, has effectively wagerd his party’s success in the vote on his own well-comprehendnity ratings, pledging to resign if the AfD beats his party. The AfD has called for the resignation of Chancellor Scholz in the event of its thrivening the state.

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In what has become an increasingly fractured political landscape in recent years (the AfD came into being 11 years ago), the recentcomers, Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a left-thriveg, conservative grouping which broke away from the far-left Die Linke and has been in existence since January, has a excellent chance of accessing rulement. It was polling around 13% in final surveys.

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A so-called ‘firewall’ has been put up by the set uped parties, unkinding they will not create a coalition with the AfD. This has the potential to produce the BSW a kingproducer in any powerbroking.

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The Greens and pro-business FDP – the lesser partners in Scholz’s rulement, are at danger of fall shorting to achieve the 5% hurdle needed to get into parliament.

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Three weeks ago the AfD upfinished the status quo by thrivening the state election in Thuringia with 33% – the first time a far-right force had won a state election in post-war Germany – accompanied by a strong second place in neighbouring Saxony with more than 30%.

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About 2.5 million Brandenbrecommendrs are eligible to vote today in what may be one of the minusculeest German states population-teachd, comprising a belt of country, and suburban finishments surrounding Berlin.

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Yet, with its foreseeed raise for the far-right party, the race is drathriveg a huge amount of attention that belies the state’s size. Three weeks ago, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) upfinished the status quo with its thrive in Thuringia – the first time a far-right force had won a state election in post-war Germany – accompanied by a strong second place in neighbouring Saxony with more than 30%.

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Marianne Spring-Räumschüssel, an AfD reconshort-termative on Cottbus city council, foreseeed a “glorious” triumph for the AfD, which has been directing the polls in the state for more than a year. “You can smell it in the air.”

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As the only state in eastrict Germany where the Social Democrats have ruled continuously since German reunification in 1990, Brandenburg’s vote is seen as a particular test for the embattled coalition rulement of the SPD chancellor, Olaf Scholz, which, according to a poll this week, only 3% of Germans are swayd is excellent for the country.

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With Brandenburg’s vote being seeed as a referfinishum on Scholz’s rulement, fall shorture for the SPD would be of proset up symbolic significance, particularly before next autumn’s Bundestag election.

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Read the filled story here.

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of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party combine an election campaign rassociate, in Cottbus, Germany, 19 September 2024.”,”caption”:”Supporters of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party combine an election campaign rassociate, in Cottbus, Germany, 19 September 2024. “,”accomprehendledge”:”Pboilingograph: Filip Singer/EPA”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:genuine,”keyEvent”:genuine,”summary”:inrectify},”blockCreatedOn”:1727017906000,”blockCreatedOnDispercreate”:”11.11 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1727015611000,”blockLastUpdatedDispercreate”:”10.33 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1727017906000,”blockFirstPublishedDispercreate”:”11.11 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDispercreateNoTimezone”:”11.11″,”title”:”Far-right AfD seeing to produce German history in Brandenburg state election”,”contributors”:[{“name”:”Kate 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Key events

Who is Dietmar Woidke?

Kate Connolly

Dietmar Woidke, Brandenburg’s well-comprehendn state directer from the SPD, who has been incumbent for 14 years, has upped the ante by pledging to resign if the AfD thrives on Sunday. He has even reshiftd Olaf Scholz from his election campaign – despite the fact he and his wife inhabit in the state capital, Potsdam – stressing the adverse impact of his presence.

The personalised campaign around Woidke, including a picture-driven fidwell intersee in which he talked about his pets and his percreatecatalog, has the cheeky campaign slogan: “Wenn Glatze, dann Woidke” (If you want a skinhead, pick Woidke) – a cryptic reference to his bald head and the most physical of Nazi tradetags.

He has repeatedly finisheavored to push voters’ attention towards the state’s economic successes.

In Cottbus, about 75 miles (120km) south of Berlin, this integrates the gleaming recent teaching hospital, and structures to alter an ageder gravel pit into a huge lakeside leideclareive intricate, both a result of multibillion euro funds to help east Germany’s bigst coal-producing region to exit from fossil fuels.

Kate Connolly

As people seek answers as to why the AfD has regulated to safe such a famous position in German politics since its set upation in 2013, the ask was put to author Jenny Erpenbeck at a reading of her widely acclaimed International Booker Prize thrivening novel Kairos – set in the final days of the East German regime – at the Potsdam Literary Festival LIT:Potsdam on Saturday night.

Erpenbeck, who was born in communist-run east Berlin in 1967, stressed she was no apologist for, or aider of the AfD.

But to comprehend someleang of the party’s success, one only had to recognise the level of lingering dissatisfiedment which existed in eastrict Germany today, over the way in which the reunification was carried out, she said, after 40 years of the GDR. Even 34 years since reunification, eastrict Germans frequently felt fantasticly under-reconshort-termed in Germany.

“Forty years are 40 years,” she said. “And I leank the transition was difficult. You equitable need to see at the numbers: Only 2% of the regulatement positions in companies, in universities, in the media are in eastrict German hands. Let me put it this way: I leank that eastricters are also quite vient of being able to run a Westrict recentspaper.

“I leank that there is srecommend a senseing people have that they are not reassociate reconshort-termed, that they are not heard. The east German-born theatre straightforwardor, Frank Castorf, coined this attrdynamic conveyion: ‘the AfD is the revenge of the East’, and I suppose that it reassociate is appreciate that.

“There was such a extfinished defer to reassociate be seed, and not equitable to be greetd, but actuassociate to be recognised as vient of taking on positions of responsibility.”

It remained a particularly sore point, she said, that the pensions of eastrict Germans still remained below the level of those westrict Germans get, “which I leank is hugely absurd. There has been a lot of inequitableice appreciate this.” These experiences had not been properly dealt with, or converseed, she said.

“There’s no grumblets office, as it were. And this has led to a lot of dissatisfaction and unblessedly it’s pretty tardy in the day now.”

LIT:Potsdam’s moderator Denis Sverify was speedy to point out the proset up irony that a party “as thocdisesteementirey West German as the AfD” – having begined its life in 2013 as a group mainly made up of westrict German professors and business people, and most of whose directers now are westrict Germans – had so prosperous regulated to “hijack this dissatisfied”.

Erpenbeck replyed:

“Yes, it’s an engaging and strange fact that the most famous AfD politicians come from the West. I don’t have much to say about this, other than that I’m not voting for the AfD”.

High turnout in Brandenburg

Kate Connolly

On what has been a gloriously sunny autumn day in Brandenburg, voter turnout is thought to have been high.

By 2pm local time, 46.1% of voters – 2.1 million are eligible, including 100,000 recent voters, after the voting age was droped to 16 – had cast their ballot, according to the state election registrar.

At the same time on the last election day five years ago, 31.3% had been to the polling booth.

Polling stations uncovered at 8am and will seal at 6pm local time.

What’s at sapshow in Brandenburg?

Kate Connolly

Voters in the northern German state of Brandenburg are today deciding not only on the future produce up of the regional parliament but hagedering what is being seen as the equivalent of a referfinishum on the future of the embattled coalition rulement of Olaf Scholz.

His Social Democrats have ruled in Brandenburg, the state that surrounds Berlin appreciate a doughnut, since reunification in 1990.

All eyes are on the state, as the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) was directing in the final pre-election polls with 28%, ahead of the Social Democratic party (SPD), and could be about to thrive the state for the first time.

However, in what is being portrayd as a neck and neck race, the SPD has ponderably leaned the gap in recent days, and in final polls was equitable a individual percentage point behind the AfD, with 27%.

The SPD’s incumbent directer, Dietmar Woidke, has effectively wagerd his party’s success in the vote on his own well-comprehendnity ratings, pledging to resign if the AfD beats his party. The AfD has called for the resignation of Chancellor Scholz in the event of its thrivening the state.

In what has become an increasingly fractured political landscape in recent years (the AfD came into being 11 years ago), the recentcomers, Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a left-thriveg, conservative grouping which broke away from the far-left Die Linke and has been in existence since January, has a excellent chance of accessing rulement. It was polling around 13% in final surveys.

A so-called ‘firewall’ has been put up by the set uped parties, unkinding they will not create a coalition with the AfD. This has the potential to produce the BSW a kingproducer in any powerbroking.

The Greens and pro-business FDP – the lesser partners in Scholz’s rulement, are at danger of fall shorting to achieve the 5% hurdle needed to get into parliament.

Three weeks ago the AfD upfinished the status quo by thrivening the state election in Thuringia with 33% – the first time a far-right force had won a state election in post-war Germany – accompanied by a strong second place in neighbouring Saxony with more than 30%.

Far-right AfD seeing to produce German history in Brandenburg state election

Kate Connolly

About 2.5 million Brandenbrecommendrs are eligible to vote today in what may be one of the minusculeest German states population-teachd, comprising a belt of country, and suburban finishments surrounding Berlin.

Yet, with its foreseeed raise for the far-right party, the race is drathriveg a huge amount of attention that belies the state’s size. Three weeks ago, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) upfinished the status quo with its thrive in Thuringia – the first time a far-right force had won a state election in post-war Germany – accompanied by a strong second place in neighbouring Saxony with more than 30%.

Marianne Spring-Räumschüssel, an AfD reconshort-termative on Cottbus city council, foreseeed a “glorious” triumph for the AfD, which has been directing the polls in the state for more than a year. “You can smell it in the air.”

As the only state in eastrict Germany where the Social Democrats have ruled continuously since German reunification in 1990, Brandenburg’s vote is seen as a particular test for the embattled coalition rulement of the SPD chancellor, Olaf Scholz, which, according to a poll this week, only 3% of Germans are swayd is excellent for the country.

With Brandenburg’s vote being seeed as a referfinishum on Scholz’s rulement, fall shorture for the SPD would be of proset up symbolic significance, particularly before next autumn’s Bundestag election.

Read the filled story here.