Together, far-right and far-left parties have just won nearly half of the vote in state elections in Thuringia and Saxony. How is this possible in a country that has suffered so much from extremist politics, where similar decisions by voters in the past led to mass death and devastation?
BERLIN – The symbolism of the date of Thuringia and Saxony’s recent elections will have been lost on many, including some who voted for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Did they remember that September 1, 1939, was the beginning of World War II, when Nazi troops invaded Poland? Did they realize that September 1930 was when the Nazis first gained a significant share of the vote in an election (21%), and in the very state of Thuringia, where the AfD finished first with over 30%?
BERLIN – The symbolism of the date of Thuringia and Saxony’s recent elections will have been lost on many, including some who voted for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Did they remember that September 1, 1939, was the beginning of World War II, when Nazi troops invaded Poland? Did they realize that September 1930 was when the Nazis first gained a significant share of the vote in an election (21%), and in the very state of Thuringia, where the AfD finished first with over 30%?