German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling party CDU (Christian Democrats) suffered an election defeat in the north eastern Mecklenbur-Pomerania region at the hands of far-right party AfD. The Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) party took about 21% of the vote behind the centre-left SPD’s 30%.
The German chancellor’s CDU was backed by only about 19% of those who voted, according to the partial results.
The vote was seen as a key test before German parliamentary elections in 2017.
Before the vote in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, in the former East Germany, all of Germany’s other parties ruled out forming a governing coalition with the AfD. The humiliating defeat for the German Chancellor was seen as a reaction by the German public to her refugee policy. Alternative fuer Deutschland’s anti immigrant and increasingly strident anti-Islam message has a powerful appeal to people concerned about integration and worried about domestic security. The AfD, initially an anti-euro party, has enjoyed a rapid rise as the party of choice for voters dismayed by Mrs Merkel’s policy.
But its political power is limited and critics accuse it of engaging in xenophobic scaremongering. Some German media outlets predict this could be the start of the end of the iron lady of Germany. Addressing supporters, local AfD leader Leif-Erik Holm said: “Perhaps this is the beginning of the end of Angela Merkel’s chancellorship today.”
Mrs Merkel, who is in China for the G20 summit, told Bild newspaper on Saturday: “We did not reduce benefits for anyone in Germany as a result of the aid for refugees. In fact, we actually saw social improvements in some areas.
“We took nothing away from people here. We are still achieving our big goal of maintaining and improving the quality of life in Germany.”