German State Elections; 'Successes of the Far Right'

Estimates indicate that the far-right party opposing refugees and immigrants has achieved successes in the elections of three German states. Meanwhile, Merkel's allies have performed worse in all three states compared to previous years. The elections in these three states are seen as a test for the German Chancellor and her allies, particularly regarding policies related to immigrants and refugees, ahead of the general elections in 2017. Initial estimates after the elections show that the far-right anti-immigrant party has succeeded in all three states: Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saxony-Anhalt, while Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Party has received worse results compared to five years ago. According to the German news agency, the Chancellor's stance on refugees and immigrants, which included opening the country's borders and the arrival of over a million refugees in 2015, has caused the Christian Democrats to lose many of their traditional and right-wing supporters. The same agency reports that estimates suggest Merkel's party is likely to lose its majority in Baden-Württemberg. On the other hand, the Greens are likely to gain a majority in this southwestern state for the first time. In Rhineland-Palatinate, there is a close competition between the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats, but moderate leftists may surpass Merkel's party. Another issue that has notably attracted media attention is the successes of the far-right party 'Alternative for Germany' (AfD). Estimates indicate that this anti-immigrant right-wing party will enter the parliament of all three states, which, according to the German news agency, is unprecedented in post-war history. In Saxony-Anhalt, the majority remains with the Christian Democrats, but the AfD is expected to enter the parliament of this eastern state with an unprecedented result of 18 percent. According to the French news agency, the main presence of right-wingers in Germany has always been distinctly limited to moderate Christian Democrats and their allies. This has distinguished the German political scene from Austria, Switzerland, or France, where far-right groups have had a more prominent presence.