German bishop voices ‘great concern’ after historic AfD victory in state election
A German bishop expressed “great concern” after the Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 43.8% of the vote in a state election on Sunday, falling just short of an absolute majority and leaving the state of Saxony-Anhalt facing a protracted coalition deadlock.
The AfD, which is critical of mass migration, is described by opponents as being “far right,” populist, and/or extremist. The stateʼs domestic intelligence office has classified the partyʼs Saxony-Anhalt branch as “confirmed right-wing extremist” — a designation the AfD is challenging in court; the federal equivalent was suspended by a court in February pending a final ruling.
According to preliminary official results, the AfD will hold 39 of the state Parliamentʼs 83 seats, just three short of an absolute majority. The Christian Democrats (CDU), led by incumbent Minister-President Sven Schulze, finished a distant second with 15 seats. The Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens, and The Left each won eight seats, while the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) won five, according to CNA Deutsch , the German-language sister service of EWTN News.
Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg, in a joint statement with Protestant leaders, called…
