Scholz reacts to the rise of the far-right: 'It is destroying our country's reputation'

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, regarding the increase in votes for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, stated, "The AfD is harming Germany and destroying our country's reputation."

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Scholz reacts to the rise of the far-right: 'It is destroying our country's reputation'

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed his concerns regarding the increase in votes for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the recent state elections.

According to a report by DW Türkçe, Social Democratic Party (SPD) member Scholz described the election results as "bitter" and called on democratic parties to form alliances that exclude the AfD.

In his statement, Scholz said, "All democratic parties must form stable governments that do not include the far-right." Emphasizing that he was making this call as an SPD member, Scholz stated that the country should not get used to these results, adding, "The AfD is harming Germany. It is weakening the economy, dividing society, and destroying our country's reputation."

Despite the SPD's disappointment with the election results, Scholz said the party remains united and conducted a clear election campaign. Stating that they will not give up the fight, Scholz noted that they will continue to work for new votes.

LATEST SITUATION IN GERMAN ELECTIONS: AfD ON THE RISE

Approximately 5 million voters were eligible to cast ballots in the elections held in the eastern German states of Thuringia and Saxony. Following the conclusion of voting at 18:00 local time yesterday, the first exit polls announced by the German public broadcaster ARD showed that the far-right populist AfD placed first in the state of Thuringia with 30.8 percent of the vote.

Increasing its vote share by 7.4 percentage points compared to the 2019 elections, the AfD secured the first place in a state parliamentary election for the first time for a far-right party in Germany in the post-World War II era. The CDU, which placed second with 24.5 percent of the vote, also increased its vote share by 2.8 percentage points compared to the previous elections.

The "Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance – For Reason and Justice" (BSW) party, which split from The Left party, drew attention by receiving 15.8 percent of the vote in its first election. In the state of Thuringia, The Left party lost 18.6 percentage points, falling to fourth place with 12.4 percent of the vote.

News Source: 12punto