A clear win for Germany's mainstream conservative opposition boosts its confidence as the country begins to look ahead to a national election expected in the fall of 2025, but raises questions about why it isn't benefiting more from the unpopularity of Scholz's government.
And a second-place finish for the far-right Alternative for Germany, despite scandals and setbacks, underlines its enduring appeal to many unsettled voters and its strength in the formerly communist east where it emerged as the strongest party and hopes to win three state elections in September.
The defeat of the three parties in Scholz's unpopular coalition really wasn't surprising, but the level they've dropped to is quite shocking for a governing coalition, said Andrea Rommele, a political science professor at the Hertie School in Berlin.
Scholz's Social Democrats, the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats secured less than a third of the vote. Scholz's party polled only 13.9%, its worst post-World War II showing in a nationwide vote, while the Greens crashed to 11.9% from a peak of 20.5% five years ago.
#european-parliament-election #chancellor-olaf-scholz #far-right-party-alternative-for-germany #germanys-political-landscape #coalition-government-challenges
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