German Voters Deal a Blow to Scholz's Coalition in Bavaria and Hesse Elections

story

OCT 2023

Image copyright: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

story last updated JAN 31

The Spin

Left narrative

Despite radical positions usually tending to repel voters, Germany has seen the dangerous rise of the right-wing illiberal AfD at a faster pace than most countries in Europe. Results from Sunday's state elections in Bavaria and Hesse show that ignoring the dangerous far-right party is a failed strategy. Unless German politicians succeed in finding the right message to neutralize AfD, Europe's stability may be endangered.

wapo

Right narrative

The claim that the AfD was merely an East Germany phenomenon is dead for good, as it has drained voters from all parties in Bavaria and Hesse. Given the unbalanced political offering in Germany since the conservative CDU/CSU shifted toward the center, it's easy to understand why anti-establishment right-wing parties are gaining ground amid a crisis of trust in established parties.

Unherd