Heavy defeat for Schulz’s coalition in two regional elections, the far right advances

The three parties making up Olaf Scholz’s center-left coalition suffered a harsh defeat on Sunday in elections in two key conservative regions, which also show the rise of the far right, according to opinion polls. The performance of the Social Democrats from Schulz’s party, the Greens, and the liberals from the Free Democratic Party declined in the elections that took place in Bavaria, the largest German region in terms of area, and in Hesse, where Frankfurt, the headquarters of the European Central Bank, is located. Located.

According to these polls, the conservatives, as expected, won both elections, and the far-right Alternative for Germany party could take second place. “We are on the right track“AfD co-leader Alice Weidel quickly responded, interpreting the results as:punishment“For the government and”Vote for change“.

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The conservative opposition is on the rise

In Hesse, the Social Democratic Party, led by Interior Minister Nancy Weiser, will come in only fourth place (15.2%), after the AfD (16.8%) and the Green Party (15.5%), and far behind the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which took On 34.7%. A clear increase compared to 2018 (27%). In the midterms, the government of Olaf Scholz was punished in these elections as the population’s concern about the industrial crisis affecting Europe’s largest economy and the return of the migration issue played a major role.

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The campaign has largely focused on criticism of the coalition that has been in power since December 2021. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 fostered a period of unity within this unprecedented government team. But frictions have multiplied since then over everything from budget spending cuts to measures to combat global warming.