The President of the European Parliament has expressed concern about a possible success of populists in the upcoming German parliamentary elections and what that would mean for Europe.
Roberta Metsola called on Germany’s pro-European parties to work together on important issues.
“What happens in Germany over the next four years will have a major impact on the next four years of the European Union,” she told Funke Media Group newspapers in a story published Saturday.
She also described the campaign and the results of the German parliament or Bundestag as “a litmus test for the whole of Europe. What influence will populist parties gain? she wondered and who “will disillusioned citizens vote for?”
She said that the “European elections [in June] was already a kind of snapshot, but after the state elections in East Germany I am very concerned.”
Rise of populism in the former East Germany
State elections in three eastern German states in September resulted in strong results for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The AfD won the elections in Thuringia and came second in Saxony and Brandenburg. However, this is unlikely to happen in any of these state governments as long-standing parties have refused to cooperate with them.
The populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a new party entering the state polls for the first time, recorded double-digit shares in all three elections and came third in all three.
Metsola directed her call to the pro-European, pro-Ukrainian parties in Germany: “They must stand together on important future issues.”
She also urged the German government to take a clear position on European affairs. “A strong Europe needs a strong Germany. And a determined Franco-German alliance, also supplemented by Poland and Italy.”
