Far right on course to win key elections in Germany

FRANCE 24 English

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00:00It's a regional election that could be pivotal.

00:03Support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party has grown in the eastern states

00:08of Thuringia and Saxony, as the anti-immigration party leads the polls with around 30 per cent.

00:14But it is also met with a strong anti-right-wing sentiment, like on the streets of Erfurt,

00:20the capital of the Thuringia state.

00:22Hundreds crowd the town square calling on voters to stop fascism.

00:27I really hope that society will send a strong signal and that all democratic elements will

00:31join forces and take to the streets to send a loud message.

00:35Fascism has no place here.

00:38I hope that the AfD will get less than 30 per cent.

00:41I even hope for much less.

00:42And I hope that the democrats from other parties will join forces to form a government without

00:46the AfD.

00:51Far-right activists also demonstrated at the same time heightening tensions, but local

00:56police contained the crowds to avoid clashes.

00:59The AfD party, originally an anti-Euro party, scored a record 15.9 per cent in the EU parliamentary

01:06elections and is heading strong into the regional elections with an agenda promising to tackle

01:11immigration, the energy crisis and inflation.

01:15The elections come one week after a knife attack in the west of the country, allegedly

01:21linked to the Islamic State organisation and igniting anti-immigration sentiment, further

01:26helping the AfD gain support among voters in East Germany.

01:33Germany needs controlled borders again and the robust expulsion of illegal migrants.

01:41And I demand the immediate expulsion of all of them from our country, all criminals, all

01:46extremists.

01:50An AfD victory would be a first in a regional election, but even if it wins the party is

01:55unlikely to come to power as it will need to form a coalition, but other parties have

02:00already ruled this option out.

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