More far-right gains in German elections
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Why does Chancellor Friedrich Merz call the recent state elections a disaster?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk. With Aviva Insurance.
We turn to Germany now. The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called the recent state elections a disaster. They saw further gains for the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland or ADF, AFD rather. Merz's Conservative Party suffered heavy losses in two separate regions, one to the far-right and one to the left wing. So I'm joined by Sky News Europe correspondent Alistair Bunkle now to discuss all of this. Good morning Alistair, thank you for being with us.
Morning, Clare.
Is he right, the Chancellor, Friedrich Maas? Is it a disaster for him?
Yeah, he is right. It is a disaster for him and for his party. Others might argue a disaster for Germany as well.
How did the AfD achieve historic gains in Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania and Saxony‑Anhalt?
But disaster for the CDU and for the Chancellor because in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, they recorded 4.9% of the vote. So that falls below just, but still below the 5% threshold, which means they will not be a part of the formation of of the next state parliament in that state. And that's their worst results pretty much in the party's history, certainly post-war history. And it's an indication of the decline that the party that has been such a mainstay, I mean, still is a very, very central part of German politics, but an overall decline that we have seen manifesting itself, firstly, in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks ago, when the AFD won an absolutely stonking victory there. Mecklenburg-Pomerania last night and also Berlin as well, where they performed better in Berlin, which also had its own elections yesterday, but still coming behind a far left party called Die Linke.
So what does this mean then for Friedrich Merz? I mean, surely in the face of all of this, and I'm struck by you saying this is the worst result in their post-war history, he can't survive this, can he?
Well, I think that is the logic and might well be the reality. But at the moment, he is sticking put. He gathered a lot of his senior party chiefs yesterday to watch the results come in and to sort of have an informal, formal, kind of almost like a vote of no confidence. I think behind those closed doors, if people had wanted him to go then, then probably would have voiced those opinions. He then came out, spoke to the media outlets last night is due to do so again in the next couple of hours.
What does the election fallout mean for Merz’s leadership and his party’s future?
But speaking very much of, look, we need to be patient, we need to be steadfast, and the reforms that he's putting in place will start to show improvements for the German people. So he's sharing those signs of wanting to stand down. Long dreamt of being Chancellor. He's finally Chancellor. I don't think he's going to be shifted unless someone puts their head above the parapet and says, it's time for you to go and I'm the person to succeed you. And at the moment, there are candidates who could be considered successors, but nobody is making that jump yet.
And what were the issues then that you think grabbed voters? I've seen a lot of talk about support for Ukraine, allowing Russian gas to flow through Germany again. What was that issue in these elections?
Well, I mean, you know, there's a number of issues, some of them reasonably complex, although they filter down to a day-to-day level. I mean, immigration is one of them. And Germany has seen a large influx of immigrants, particularly Angela Merkel's policy of allowing in around a million Syrian migrants many years ago. But there are migrants from many other countries as well in Germany.
Which issues – like immigration, debt and Ukraine – are driving voters toward the AfD?
And as we've seen across a lot of European countries, their presence leads many to conclude that they also are contributing to an increase in crime levels. They are taking money that would otherwise be spent on Germans themselves and the German welfare state. They're contributing to unemployment, etc. Now, you know, as to what extent, you know, these accusations are true or not, you know, that is the perception amongst many Germans. And that's why They have in large numbers gone to the AFD, have said that they will remove illegal asylum seekers immediately. Then you have other issues like Mertz went back on manifesto pledges to borrow a trillion euros in order to see through some of his reforms.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
Why does Chancellor Friedrich Merz call the recent state elections a disaster?
0:01–0:47
2
How did the AfD achieve historic gains in Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania and Saxony‑Anhalt?
0:47–2:27
3
What does the election fallout mean for Merz’s leadership and his party’s future?
2:27–3:34
4
Which issues – like immigration, debt and Ukraine – are driving voters toward the AfD?
3:34–5:16
5
Why is Merz’s popularity at a post‑war low and how might that affect his tenure?
5:16–6:29
6
What explains the appeal of extremist parties compared with the mainstream CDU/CSU?
6:29–7:33
7
How could Germany’s political landscape change if the AfD or far‑left keep gaining momentum?
7:33–8:46