Reactions after elections

Complaints from traffic light parties, jubilation from AfD, CDU & BSW

Thuringia's leading AfD candidate Björn Höcke has reason to celebrate.(Bild: AFP)

The election results in Saxony and Thuringia are causing different reactions. For the traffic light parties, the outcome - even if it was to be expected - is a disaster. The AfD, the Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance and the CDU, on the other hand, are in a jubilant mood.

After the elections, the parties in the traffic light government are in a hangover mood. The German Chancellor declared that the election results were "bitter". Olaf Scholz also said on Monday morning: "Our country cannot and must not get used to this. The AfD is damaging Germany. It is weakening the economy, dividing society and ruining our country's reputation." Regarding the possible formation of a government, the SPD politician explained: "All democratic parties are now called upon to form stable governments without right-wing extremists."

Germany's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz(Bild: AFP)

Thuringia's AfD lead candidate Björn Höcke was "overjoyed" about first place in his state and spoke of a "historic victory". He emphasized that it is a tradition in Germany for the strongest party to invite people to coalition talks - this week he will consider who he will talk to. 

Wagenknecht sees her place in the Bundestag
Sahra Wagenknecht, who achieved a double-digit result with her new alliance from a standing start, is regarded as one of the big winners of the election. She wants to be involved in a possible government formation in Thuringia, but does not want to become a minister, "because my place is in the Bundestag", she was quoted as saying by "Focus".

FDP sees incentive and only "temporary setback"
FDP Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai sees no reason for resignation. On the evening of the election, he explained that one should not be "depressed or angry". The result is "a temporary setback and an incentive at the same time. FDP deputy leader Wolfgang Kubicki is more pessimistic: "The traffic light coalition has lost its legitimacy," he explained on Platform X. This coalition is not only damaging the country, but also his party.

Green Party leader Omid Nouripour is relieved that they have at least made it back into the state parliament in Saxony. The result in Thuringia was very painful. People are unsettled. He cited cultural people, people with a migration background or people who go to events such as Christopher Street Day as examples. "They are afraid," said Nouripour.

ÖVP Secretary General: "Alarming"
ÖVP General Secretary Christian Stocker finds the "strengthening of the radical fringes in Germany alarming". In his reaction, he also referred to FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl, whom he described as promising people "the blue sky". Kickl himself congratulated the AfD on its historic election results. The clear victory in Thuringia and the neck-and-neck race with the CDU in Saxony were an expression of hope for a system change. "The system parties were massively punished," said the FPÖ leader happily. SPÖ chairman Andreas Babler said that the AfD's election successes in Saxony and Thuringia should "set alarm bells ringing for all democrats - even beyond Germany".