Parliamentary elections in Germany: in Saxony, the far right as a leading political force
Audio 02:25
Election poster in favor of the AfD, the German far-right party, in view of the general elections on September 26, 2021. © AP / Markus Schreiber
By: Achim Lippold Follow
5 mins
As in the previous election in 2017, the far-right AfD party will play the spoilsport.
This is particularly the case in the new Länder (the former GDR) where the party is now firmly established, to the point of having become, in certain regions, the leading local political force.
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From our special correspondent in Zittau,
We are in the Zittau market, a small town in the far south-eastern part of Germany, on the border with Poland and the Czech Republic. Next to a sausage seller, Jörg Domsgen distributes leaflets for the AfD (the “Alternative für Deutschland”, the “Alternative for Germany”), against the right of asylum, for an exit from the European Union and for more investment in the region, which is among the poorest in the country. “
The region has been emptied of jobs that allow people to live with dignity on their wages. That is why people in need are turning to alternative parties
, ”says Jörg Domsgen.
Steffen is one of those who turned his back on traditional parties.
Retired, in his fifties, wearing a jogging suit, he has just done his shopping.
Once all the charges have been paid, he has 150 euros left to live on.
“
I worked for 20 years on the production line in Bavaria.
We produced boxes for Christmas cakes.
Six days a week, only Sunday was free,
”says Steffen.
Then to continue: “
There, I am in early retirement, because a few years ago, my back gave way as well as my knees.
I have three broken lumbar vertebrae and a herniated disc.
In this country, if you can no longer walk, you die.
"
► To read also: The AfD is preparing somehow for the federal elections
The victory of the AfD, a political earthquake in Saxony
Four years ago, the AfD won the constituency against the CDU. A political earthquake in the region. During a public debate in Zittau, the Conservative Party candidate tries to bring voters back into the fold of the CDU. "
A protest vote will not create new jobs, nor will it bring back doctors or nurses,
" said Florian Oest.
An argument that hardly convinces Dirk Heinrich, an insurance agent who attends the debate and who decided to vote for the Liberals.
“
I admit that I hesitated to give my voice to the AfD.
Which surprised me myself because I do not support the extreme right at all.
But they raise issues that are ignored by others.
Many of my friends vote for the AfD, and they are normal people, not extremists,
”he emphasizes.
According to Dirk Heinrich, this year the AfD can count on a new clientele in the region: anti-vaccines.
► See also: Legislative in Germany: the climate issue at the heart of the campaign
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