Voters in Saxony and Thuringia are electing new state legislatures, with far-right AfD and populist BSW parties expected to perform strongly, while Germany's ruling coalition parties (SPD, Greens, FDP) are polling poorly. Key issues include Russia's war against Ukraine, security, and illegal immigration, with a deadly knife attack in Solingen involving a 26-year-old Syrian man dominating the campaign.
Olaf Scholz's government has announced new measures to combat armed crime and illegal immigration. The elections in Saxony and Thuringia are being closely watched as they could result in a political earthquake if the far-right AfD becomes the most voted party.
The AfD, led by Björn Höcke, a former teacher convicted of using Nazi slogans, is campaigning on an anti-immigration and anti-establishment message, capitalizing on the outrage over the Solingen attack. The ruling coalition, led by Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, Greens, and Free Democrats, is facing low popularity and possible losses, further divided on issues like military support for Ukraine.
These elections are crucial for Germany as they could see a xenophobic, eurosceptic, and pro-Russian party win power for the first time in one of its 16 states.
