In Germany, the left strengthened its position in state elections — The Guardian

In three state elections in Germany in September, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took first place in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while The Left (Die Linke) won in Berlin. In a column for The Guardian, political scientist Cas Mudde noted that these results should not be reduced solely to the strengthening of far-right forces.

Results in the states

In the Saxony-Anhalt election on September 6, the AfD received a record 43.8% of the vote, but has not yet formed a government. According to Mudde, this happened despite the favorable stance of the left-conservative Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance.

Two weeks later, the AfD again came first in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, receiving 38.2% of the vote. At the same time, Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union failed to enter a state parliament for the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Social Democratic Party of Germany, which had been in power in the state, suffered a comparatively smaller loss of votes.

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The Left's victory in Berlin

In the Berlin election, Die Linke won, receiving nearly twice as many new votes as the AfD, which came third. In the author's view, the city will most likely be led by a coalition of The Left, the Greens and the Social Democratic Party, headed by Elif Eralp, the daughter of Turkish political refugees.

Among young women, 54% supported Die Linke. Mudde links this to a broader trend of young women supporting left-wing forces. He also notes that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will likely have a government involving two left-wing parties and the Greens.

The author's assessment

Cas Mudde believes that the media's exclusive focus on the AfD's successes does not reflect the full range of changes in German politics. In his view, equating the far right with the so-called far left ignores the difference between a challenge to traditional parties and a threat to liberal democracy. The author emphasizes that the AfD poses a threat to liberal democracy, while most parties described as far left, including Die Linke, have become more moderate over time.