Germany's State Election Results Explained

The election results are in from Germany! But  hold on—these aren’t the national elections   we’re talking about. Instead, we’re zooming in  on the regional elections in two eastern states,   Thuringia and Saxony. Now, you might be  thinking, “Why should I care about some   regional elections in Germany?” Well, let  me tell you, these results could be a sneak   peek into next year’s national elections  and might even send ripples across the EU.  And, wow, were these results fascinating!  Imagine this: a far-left conservative populist   (yes, you read that right—left-wing  and conservative combined) and a   far-right party both scoring big wins. But before we dive into the juicy details   of these election outcomes and their  potential impact on Germany and beyond,   let’s take a quick detour to explore  the intriguing world of German politics. Germany’s political system operates on a  principle known as federalism. At its core,   federalism means that power is divided between the  national government (the federal level) and the 16   individual states, known as Länder. Each of these  Länder has its own parliament and government,   giving them significant autonomy to  make decisions on various issues.  The federal government also has a  parliament, called the Bundestag,   and handles nationwide responsibilities like  foreign policy, defence, immigration laws,   and taxes. Meanwhile, the Länder have control  over education, policing, cultural affairs,   and healthcare, allowing them to tailor these  areas to the specific needs of their populations.  This balance of power allows  Germany to maintain national   unity while respecting regional diversity. In regional elections, like those in Thuringia and   Saxony, the residents have the opportunity to vote  for representatives in their state parliaments,   known as the Landtag. But here’s where it gets  interesting—German voters actually get two votes!  To show you how this works, let's dive into  a real example from last Sunday's elections.  This is Thuringia, one of the two states where  voters went to the polls. Thuringia is divided   into 44 electoral districts, and we’ll focus  on Sömmerda, district number 17, as an example.  In this district, voters cast their first  vote for a direct candidate within their   local electoral area. The candidate who gets  the most votes wins a seat in the Landtag,   securing what’s known as a  direct mandate. In Sömmerda 2,   this went to Mr. Czuppon from the AfD party. Now, if we look at Thuringia as a whole,   44 seats in the Landtag are filled by these direct  mandate winners from each district's first vote.  But the second vote is even more important  because it determines the overall composition   of the state parliament. With this vote, people  choose a party rather than a specific candidate.  Now, looking at Thuringia as a whole, most people  used their second vote for the AfD, followed by   the CDU and BSW. To ensure proportionality,  additional seats are added to the parliament   so that the overall representation matches  the proportion of votes each party received.  This system balances direct representation with  proportional representation, ensuring that both   the local favourites and overall party  preferences are reflected in the Landtag.  Yes, yes, it’s over-engineered and a bit  complicated. But hey, we’re talking about   Germany here—what else would you expect? So, if we add the 1st vote and 2nd vote   results together, these are the  election results in Thueringen,   with the AfD clear winners with 32 seats, followed  by CDU with 23 seats and then BSW with 15 seats.  As you can see, the far-right AfD emerged as  the winner. This outcome might be influenced   by the recent deadly knife attack in Solingen,  Germany, which tragically claimed three lives   and left eight others seriously injured.  The Islamic State terrorist group claimed   responsibility for the attack, leading to  widespread, though varied, media coverage. Ground News found nearly 460 sources covering  this from across the political spectrum and   the world. And sorting through their  coverage, I can see how the German   government is focusing on how this attack put  a spotlight on the nation’s deportation laws. I can either click to read through their coverage  or keep scrolling for a broader perspective like   UK-based Financial Times reporting on how the  stabbings rekindled the EU’s far-right fears. This attack could have a profound impact  on the upcoming regional elections,   swaying public opinion depending  on where you get your news from. Which is where today's video sponsor truly excels.  Ground News is an innovative app and website that   compiles related news from across the globe so  you can see how different outlets cover the same   story. They also provide valuable insights  into each news source’s political leaning,   reliability, and ownership based on data from  independent news monitoring organisations. I really think Ground News is a powerful tool  to cut through media bias and gain a broader   perspective on any story from all angles.  And I personally use them to stay updated   on German politics and European Union affairs  to get the most balanced information available. I highly recommend checking them out at  ground.news/EUMS. If you use my link in   the description or scan this QR code, you can save  40% on the same Vantage plan I use for unlimited   access to all their features. Let’s turn our attention   to the recent election results in Saxony. The  clear losers in this election were the FDP, who   failed to secure enough votes and ended up in the  "Others" category, followed by the Left, Greens,   and SPD, who also performed poorly. The left-wing conservative BSW claimed   third place, securing 11.8% of the  vote, which translates into 15 seats.  In second place was the far-right AfD, which  garnered 30.6% of the vote and won 40 seats.  Leading the pack, the centre-right CDU  emerged victorious with 31.9% of the vote,   earning them 42 seats. When we look at the recent   election results in Thuringia and Saxony, the  standout winners are the AfD, CDU, and BSW. For those who have been living under  a rock, the AfD is Germany’s far-right   party. Their lead candidate in Thuringia,  Björn Höcke, is even more extreme than most   within his party. He is even facing  legal action for using Nazi rhetoric. In Saxony, the CDU emerged as the winner. The CDU  is Germany’s center-right party and serves as the   main opposition to the current federal government.  It’s the party of notable figures like former   Chancellor Angela Merkel and the current President  of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. BSW, or Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht, is particularly  intriguing because this party didn’t exist just a   year ago. Led by Sahra Wagenknecht, a prominent  left-wing politician formerly associated with   The Left party, BSW seeks to challenge the  traditional party landscape. They advocate for   a mix of left-leaning economic policies, such  as social justice and wealth redistribution,   alongside more conservative stances  on immigration and cultural identity. The real challenge now is determining  which parties will form coalitions   in Saxony and Thuringia, a task  made especially difficult by the   fact that all parties have ruled  out collaborating with the AfD. Nonetheless, in Thuringia, a potential  coalition could involve the CDU, BSW, and SPD. In Saxony, the most likely coalition options   are either a CDU-BSW-SPD alliance  or a CDU-BSW-Greens partnership. However, forming these  coalitions will be challenging,   as these parties have fundamentally  different ideologies and priorities. Now that you’ve probably learned more about  German state elections than you ever wanted to. So what does it all mean for Germany and the EU? In the short term, not much will change. But in the long term, things could shift significantly. Take Germany’s ruling coalition—the SPD, Greens,  and FDP. They didn’t just underperform in   Thuringia and Saxony; they did terribly! There’s  growing pressure on the German government to call   for new elections, and these results might just  add fuel to that fire. Even if they hang on,   Germany’s next scheduled elections are next  year, whcih could see them suffer heavy   losses. Current polls suggest the CDU will  win, with strong gains for the AfD and BSW. While the CDU remains firmly pro-Ukraine  and pro-EU, their talk of tightening border   controls could put them on a collision course  with the EU. But considering that very few seem   to be happy with the European migration,  this could also be seen as a good thing. As for the AfD and BSW, they’re even more  at odds with the EU. Both are critical of   support for Ukraine, and the AfD wants to abolish  the euro and possibly exit the EU altogether. So, the next year is shaping up to  be very intriguing, with Germany—the   powerhouse of Europe—navigating  uncharted political waters. But - what do you think? Are you happy  with the German election results? Let us know in the comments and please like the  video and subscribe to the channel if you like the   content. And if you want to support us further,  please sign up to Patreon. Until next time!