Germany: what do the AfD's election gains mean?
In local elections in Germany's most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia the CDU has maintained its leading position, securing 33.3 percent of the vote. The SPD and Greens suffered losses with 22.1 and 13.5 percent respectively, while with 14.5 percent the AfD almost tripled its share compared to the last local elections. Commentators assess the results of this first test of public opinion since February's federal election.
Facing an assault on both sides
Local elections set the course for the governing parties and their importance should not be underestimated, The Spectator argues:
“If the two parties want to secure their political survival over the coming years, they will have to significantly broaden their offerings to younger voters. This won't be easy: interestingly, it wasn't only the AfD that scooped up a significant number of youth votes (11 per cent): the left-wing Die Linke party secured support from 18 per cent of 16-25 year olds. Berlin's establishment parties are facing a political assault on both sides. As a microcosm of German politics, [the] vote in North Rhein-Westphalia shows just how fractured the country is becoming.”
Dam against far right won't hold forever
The established parties will have to deliver, warns NRC:
“What prospects can the Social Democrats offer their supporters now that many traditional jobs in North Rhine-Westphalia state have disappeared? And will the CDU be able to cater to its right flank without copying the language and ideas of the AfD? If they do, voters may prefer to vote for the 'original' next time. The fact is that the citizens of North Rhine-Westphalia have made clear that the economy needs to improve and migration must be reined in. The CDU and SPD will have to deliver on these points, because the dam will not hold on its own.”