German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party, the Social Democrats (SPD), barely defeated the increasingly popular anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) in a state election in Brandenburg, home of the capital city, Berlin. The SPD has comfortably governed the state since German reunification in 1990, but in the September 22 election, it gained just 30.9% of the vote, with AfD in second place with 29.2%.
Recent polls show a sharp decline in Scholz’s popularity, but analysts suggest the razor thin victory could stave off immediate criticism of his leadership, and questions about his suitability as Chancellor. Mr. Scholz referred to the Brandenburg win as “a great result,” but critics argue that he is still not out of the woods.
Despite the Chancellor’s apparent optimism, the campaign was characterized by party in-fighting, with Brandenburg’s SPD state governor Dietmar Woidke distancing himself from Scholz and his party’s national policies. He even barred the Chancellor from the campaign trail. Other SPD members and officials have reportedly emphasized that the slim success in Brandenburg was despite Mr. Scholz, not because of him, and that his future as leader of Europe’s wealthiest country remains in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, the AfD is celebrating its growing influence and ability to create difficulties for the established political parties. In response to AfD successes, the SPD government has recently tightened migration rules, began deporting criminals, and strengthened its borders.
In August, Germany deported convicted criminals to Afghanistan, despite previous pledges not to do so while the Taliban remained in power. When questioned about the safety of the deportees, a spokesperson for Scholz’s government stated, “Germany’s security interests clearly outweigh the protection interests of criminals.”
Following a jihadist attack on Christians in Solingen that left three people dead and several injured, the government announced new immigration policies. These include deportation of criminals, the end of welfare benefits for asylum claimants who have passed through other safe countries, and the removal of protected status from individuals who travel to their own countries despite claiming to be unsafe there.
The new policies were announced after a Syrian asylum seeker, who arrived in Germany in 2022, stabbed three people to death at a Christian street festival. He had pledged allegiance to ISIS.
