German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD narrowly wins election in Brandenburg
In a dramatic political showdown, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) party emerged victorious in the eastern German state of Brandenburg on Sunday.
After the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party made gains in two other east German states, the SPD managed to secure the top spot by a slim margin.
Official results released by the state electoral administration revealed that the SPD clinched 30.9% of the votes, with the AfD closely following at 29.2%.
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a new leftist movement, captured third place with 13.5%, while the center-right Christian Democrats settled for 12.1%.
This victory provided a much-needed boost for Scholz, whose governing coalition has faced challenges in previous elections this year.
Brandenburg has been under the control of the Social Democrats since 1990, and a loss there would have been a significant blow for Scholz, who hails from the state capital of Potsdam.
Scholz, eyeing the role of his party’s candidate for Chancellor in the upcoming federal election, closely monitored this weekend’s results for insights into his political future.
While the SPD’s success in Brandenburg was crucial, much of the credit was attributed to state governor Dietmar Woidke, who distanced himself from Scholz during the campaign and took a bold stance by pledging to resign if the far-right emerged victorious.
“It is an important victory for me, it’s an important victory for my party, and it’s an important victory for the state of Brandenburg,” Woidke declared after the polls closed. — Euronews
