"The result is likely to come as somewhat of a relief to Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU, whose party was narrowly defeated by the Greens in state elections in neighboring Baden-Wurttemberg a week ago. In the Hesse elections, the Greens did not fare as well, losing their position as third-strongest party at local level to the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD)."
"The AfD's result more than doubled that from the last regional elections in the state five years ago, when it received 6.9%. The party's surge to popularity across the country is being watched with concern by many observers who see the AfD as a danger to democracy."
"The AfD's regional chapter in Hesse has been labelled a suspected extremist organization by the domestic intelligence in the state, while the national AfD was classified as a confirmed right-wing extremist group last year for alleged racist and anti-democratic tendencies."
In Hesse's regional elections, the CDU secured 29.7% of votes, maintaining its strongest position and providing relief to Chancellor Friedrich Merz after recent losses in Baden-Württemberg. The SPD placed second with 20.2%, while the Greens dropped to fourth place with 14.4%. The far-right AfD surged dramatically to 15.9%, more than doubling its 6.9% result from five years prior. The AfD's rise across Germany raises democratic concerns, with the party classified as a confirmed right-wing extremist group nationally and a suspected extremist organization in Hesse. Voter turnout increased to 54.4% from 50.4% in 2021, with 4.7 million eligible voters deciding local councils, city parliaments, and mayoral positions.
Read at www.dw.com
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