- Title: AfD successes in state elections pile pressure on German government
- Date: 2nd September 2019
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) AFD CO-LEADERS ALEXANDER GAULAND (pron.: G-OW-land) AND JOERG MEUTHEN (pron: Yorg MOY-ten) AND BRANDENBURG TOP CANDIDATE ANDREAS KALBITZ ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF AFD LEADERS GOING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA MEUTHEN, GAULAND AND KALBITZ POSING FOR MEDIA MEDIA MEUTHEN, GAULAND AND KALBITZ SMILING AT START OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) AFD CO-LEADER JOERG MEUTHEN, SAYING: "We are now even stronger as an opposition force and at the same time we are up against ruling coalitions who are looking increasingly fragile. Because everything is pointing to a coalition of three parties, if that even works out and on the whole these are not that stable. So we will effectively be a massively strong opposition up against a very fragile ruling coalition." CLOSE OF MEUTHEN TALKING NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (German) AFD CO-LEADER ALEXANDER GAULAND, SAYING: "If the coalition talks end up with a three party grouping then it is going to be very difficult for top level CDU officials. Especially in Saxony where the CDU is very conservative it will be very difficult to explain why they don't want to talk to the AfD at any price. I will be watching this totally at ease and with fascination. We have achieved an election result which does not permit ignoring us in the long run. We decide the country's issues." REPORTERS SEATED AFD LEADER IN BRANDENBURG, ANDREAS KALBITZ, SPEAKING / MEUTHEN REPORTERS SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (German) AFD LEADER IN BRANDENBURG, ANDREAS KALBITZ, SAYING: "That's raging journalism. Regarding the issue -- and I will happily repeat myself - I did not take part in any kind of flag raising and I am not affiliated with any (neo-Nazi) NPD circles. That's a fact. The rest is fake, even if Relotius magazine constructed this politically motivated report on purpose." REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (German) AFD TOP CANDIDATE IN SAXONY, JOERG URBAN, SAYING: "We achieved the best election result for the AfD in Saxony which is the best ever in a state election and on a European level. We achieved it despite massive resistance not just from the other parties but also from the entire media, unions, actors, churches and so on. That's the reason why we are not even stronger. We didn't have the same conditions as other parties did. We had to conduct a very unfair election campaign." REPORTERS SEATED DRESDEN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) PEOPLE BOARDING AND LEAVING BUS (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSER-BY, BODO ROSENBAUM, SAYING: "I am actually very happy with the election result and I am thrilled that the AfD gained a lot of new votes. What the CDU will do with that we will see over the course of the next five years." (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSER-BY, RONALD HEYNOWSKI, SAYING: "How can I be happy about this? It's a huge disappointment that the AfD got so many votes. I simply don't understand that. This is a party which does not distinguish itself at all and which does not want to take on any responsibility. How a party like that would get so many votes I just can't comprehend." (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSER-BY, HAFDIS RAUWOLF, SAYING: "I would have wished for a different outcome. The AfD as the second strongest party is not ideal."
- Embargoed: 16th September 2019 11:01
- Keywords: Saxony and Brandenburg state elections AfD CDU SPD Michael Kretschmer Alexander Gauland
- Location: BERLIN & DRESDEN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN & DRESDEN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AUYS30N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:An emboldened far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) warned Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition partners they could not carry on as before after luring many of their voters to come second in two regional elections in eastern Germany on Sunday.
The party almost tripled its share of the vote in Saxony to 27.5% and saw its support double in neighbouring Brandenburg, a major feat for a party set up only six years ago to oppose euro zone bailouts.
They believe their gains can destabilise the national coalition of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and Social Democrats (SPD).
"We are now even stronger as an opposition force and at the same time we are up against ruling coalitions who are looking increasingly fragile," AfD co-leader Joerg Meuthen told reporters in Berlin on Monday.
The AfD's success will certainly make coalition building difficult for the CDU conservatives in Saxony, which they have governed for almost three decades, and for the SPD in Brandenburg where the centre-left party has ruled since 1990.
There was still relief within the two ruling parties, given that a few months ago polls showed the AfD could become the strongest party in one or both of the two East German states.
The AfD has drawn on voters' discontent with Merkel's coalition and especially on her 2015 decision to let in refugees, many from war zones in the Middle East and Africa.
"The only cure against (the AfD) is direct discussions," said Saxony state premier Michael Kretschmer of the CDU who urged fellow party members to "go speak to people and address issues which hurt."
(Production: Andreas Buerger, Stephane Nitschke, Leon Malherbe, Oliver Ellrodt, Tanya Wood) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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