All eyes are on the election in the small east German state of Saxony-Anhalt. A potential absolute majority for the far-right there could shake up German politics and rattle Europe. The beginning of a new crisis?
On Sunday, Saxony-Anhalt could become the centre of a political earthquake. The AfD party is polling at more than 40 percent, far ahead of Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU).
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Such a strong result could give the far right a path to governing a German state for the first time since World War II. That would shatter one of the most important political taboos in modern Germany — and send a powerful signal to Europe.
A stronger AfD would mean a tougher battle over migration, climate policy and support for Ukraine — and potentially a more difficult Germany for the EU to rely on at a time when Europe is already facing enormous geopolitical pressure.
So, is Saxony-Anhalt simply expressing frustration with the political establishment? Or are we about to witness a turning point for Germany — and potentially for Europe? And who is to blame?
These are the core questions of this edition of The Ring, featuring two members of the European Parliament: Hildegard Bentele, a German MEP from the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) and Jean-Marc Germain, a French MEP from the Socialists & Democrats.
In the European Parliament, Bentele is the Vice-chair of the Committee on Development and a member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. She also chairs the Delegation for relations with Israel.
She says: “As Christian-Democrats, we’re convinced that the only way to counter the rise of the far-right in Saxony-Anhalt, in Germany and across Europe, is listening closely to people, offering realistic solutions and presenting - based on our values - an optimistic vision for the future.”
Germain, an economist, was adviser to former French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and is one of the main figures within the Socialists & Democrats Group (S&D) in the European Parliament, where he serves as the group’s lead on budgetary issues.
Germain says: “As long as Europe fails to build economic sovereignty, the far right will thrive in the regions devastated by globalisation and de-industrialisation."
The Ring is hosted by Stefan Grobe, produced by Luis Albertos Altarejos and Amaia Echevarria, and edited by Vassilis Glynos.