AfD on the Verge of Historic Victory in Brandenburg Local Elections
In a groundbreaking development in Brandenburg, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is leading the local elections. According to state returning officer Herbert Trimbach, the AfD has garnered 26.5 percent of the vote after counting approximately 95 percent of the electoral districts. This marks a significant surge of 10.6 percentage points compared to the last local elections held five years ago. Meanwhile, the CDU improved slightly with 19.2 percent, placing it in second position. The SPD trailed with 16.5 percent, a decrease of 1.2 percentage points from the previous elections.
The local elections, which took place in 14 district councils and the city councils of four independent cities, were eagerly observed as a precursor to the state elections set to occur in three and a half months. Despite their increased presence, the AfD fell short of first place in Potsdam and the Potsdam-Mittelmark district. In the state capital Potsdam, the SPD emerged victorious, while the CDU led in Potsdam-Mittelmark, indicating a mixed reception for the AfD across different districts.
Detailed Voting Trends: AfD's Regional Performance
In the cities of Cottbus and Spree-Neiße, the AfD demonstrated a formidable lead. In Spree-Neiße, they achieved an impressive 38.2 percent of the vote, gaining 11.6 percentage points from the previous elections. In Cottbus, the AfD secured 29.2 percent, an increase of almost seven percentage points. The SPD secured second place in Cottbus with 19.6 percent, reflecting an uptrend of four points and signifying a closer contest in certain areas.
The Left and the Greens, however, faced significant setbacks. The Left ended up with 7.7 percent, losing 6.4 points from the last elections, while the Greens garnered 6.4 percent, a decrease of 4.6 points. The Free Voters showed a modest improvement, achieving 7.2 percent, an increase of one point from 2019.
Despite the mixed results for different parties, voter turnout was notably higher than in 2019, with 2.1 million citizens participating in the elections. However, some results were still pending early Monday morning, as changes in the local election law now allow electoral boards to postpone counts until the next day if needed. The final numbers were anticipated with high interest, considering the AfD's rise from 15.9 percent in 2019 to its current strong position.
As Brandenburg gears up for the state elections, these local election results could serve as a critical indicator of the political sentiment in the region. The strong showing by the AfD will likely enhance their momentum and impact strategies for the upcoming state elections.
- The CDU-CSU coalition was observed leading in Germany overall, as indicated by early exit polls. Interestingly, the AfD, which came second, has overtaken the SPD, and their leader, Tino Chrupalla, has already celebrated this 'record result' with almost 50 percent of new voters in Europe.
- In Austria, another noteworthy outcome was the performance of the far-right FPO party in the European elections. According to exit polls, the FPO has emerged as the leading political force for the first time, with 27 percent of the votes.
- Meanwhile, Croatia experienced significantly low voter turnout in their European elections. Data showed that only 15.5 percent of eligible voters had cast their votes by 4:30 pm, attributed to electoral fatigue following a recent string of legislative elections.
