Der Spiegel calls elections in Saxony-Anhalt a “political earthquake”
German magazine Der Spiegel called the results of the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt a “political earthquake of magnitude 9.0.” As The Local Germany reports, the author of the article considers the vote a significant and alarming event for German politics, particularly for migrants and people with foreign roots.
At the same time, the author emphasized that voters in Saxony-Anhalt accounted for approximately 2% of Germany’s total electorate. In his assessment, the majority of voters in the country still do not support the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Democracy festival in Magdeburg
On the eve of the election, several thousand people gathered at the Democracy Festival on Cathedral Square in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt. The source also published a photo of a protest against the AfD party congress involving the activist group “Grandmothers Against the Right.”
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
The electoral districts of Magdeburg and Halle, the state’s two largest cities, were the only ones where AfD candidates did not win direct mandates. The Greens, according to The Local Germany, performed better in the election than expected.
Social media and disinformation
Josefine Winkler, a board member of the Greens in Magdeburg, said she had noticed among AfD voters “a completely different understanding of reality,” shaped by alternative media sources. She also pledged to counter right-wing extremism “by all possible means.”
The article cites an example of disinformation on TikTok: one video claimed that 100,000 AfD supporters had gathered in Magdeburg. Die Zeit journalists who were at the scene reported seeing a small and quiet crowd.
