Where there is light, there is also shadow: In the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, some parties have achieved new record results – both positive and negative.
The state elections in Saxony and Thuringia have brought new record results for some parties. For others, however, things are continuing to go downhill.
Record voter turnout in Saxony
Compared to previous state elections since reunification, both states have seen record levels of voter turnout. In Saxony, the 74.4 percent of eligible voters are above the previous record set in 1990 (72.8 percent). In Thuringia, the 73.6 percent is the second best result behind the 1994 state election (74.8 percent).
AfD is the strongest force in a federal state for the first time
With 32.8 percent, the AfD, which is classified as right-wing extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Thuringia, became the strongest force in a federal state for the first time in its history. This is the highest share of the vote in a German election to date. It came in just behind 30.6 percent in Saxony, even if the party only managed second place there behind the CDU. The previous AfD record was 27.5 percent (Saxony state election 2019).
Worst SPD result in a state election
Downhill again for the Social Democrats: With only 6.1 percent in Thuringia and 7.3 percent in Saxony, the SPD achieved its worst results in state elections. The previous negative record was 7.7 percent (Saxony state election 2019).
Left suffers its biggest loss
The Left’s results have fluctuated considerably in the past. In the Saarland election in 2009, for example, the party was able to increase its vote share by 19.0 percentage points. However, such successes were several years ago. Recently, it has only gone in one direction: downwards. In Thuringia, Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow’s party has now suffered record losses of 18.0 percentage points.
FDP: Further defeats for the governing party
Since its participation in the federal government, the FDP has suffered its eighth and ninth consecutive defeat in state elections. In the two eastern German states, it failed to gain a seat in parliament, and its results have continued to decline. The 0.9 percent in Saxony is the Free Democrats’ worst result to date in a state election, and the 1.1 percent in Thuringia is the third worst.
Second state parliament without the Greens
In future, the Greens will only be represented in 14 of 16 state parliaments. With only 3.2 percent, the previous governing party in Thuringia will no longer be represented in the Erfurt parliament. Most recently, in March 2022, the party narrowly missed entering the Saarland state parliament by just 23 votes.
State elections 2024 in Thuringia – preliminary results State elections 2024 in Saxony – preliminary results
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
