Germany preps for elections as right-wing party gains momentum

Currently, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), are ahead in polls compiled by the Berlin-based election research institute Infratest Dimap. The Union parties enjoy a lead of more than 10 per cent points over the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is polling second, DW reported.

Meanwhile, Bjorn Hocke, one of the most controversial figures in the AfD party and a former history teacher, has faced criticism for using Nazi terminology in his speeches. His views have also been criticised within the AfD, with many mainstream German parties viewing him as a pariah, as reported by CNN.

Hocke is popular among the youth. "If they... see a bit of a pop star in me, then that's fine because the youth also need idols like that," he told CNN last Tuesday.

In Cottbus, a city in eastern Brandenburg, the mood is tense as voters prepare to head to the polls with the rest of Germany on February 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition government led by his Social Democratic Party (SPD) collapsed last November, Al Jazeera reported.

Known for its anti-migration views, the group's success marks the first time in decades that a far-right party in Germany has gained such popularity, as per Al Jazeera.

"The overall atmosphere is rather tense in Germany at the moment, and refugees do feel the changing attitude towards them," said Judith Wiebke, a spokesperson for PRO ASYL, a German pro-immigration group.

Migration is a contentious topic in the European Union, with leaders of the 27-member bloc often squabbling over how to implement a unified migration and asylum policy.

When voters cast their ballots on February 23, 2025, they won't directly elect the next German chancellor. Instead, they will elect politicians to the Bundestag, the lower house of German parliament. Unless a party wins an outright majority by itself, the party with the most representatives in the Bundestag attempts to build a governing coalition that holds a parliamentary majority. Ordinarily, the party with the most votes in a ruling coalition appoints its declared chancellor candidate to lead the government, as per DW.