Merkel’s re-election expected as Germany goes to the polls
BERLIN — In an unpredictable political year across Europe, the German election on Sunday has been considered the boring final act. Angela Merkel, the Continent’s most powerful figure, is expected to win a fourth term as chancellor after a colorless campaign. Yet if many Germans seem satisfied enough with their leader, others are unhappy with the wishy-washy consensus of the main parties.
Troubled by her migration policy and her long tenure, some Germans are turning more toward smaller, more ideological parties. For the first time in more than 60 years, they are expected to vote a farright, anti-immigration party — the Alternative for Germany, known by its German initials, AfD — into the federal Parliament.
In recent weeks, the party has regained lost ground in the opinion polls. It could emerge as Germany’s thirdlargest party — and even become the leader of the opposition, if the current coalition of the two largest parties falls apart.
Such a scenario would represent a big shift in the consensus-driven style of politics in Germany. And the historical import is undeniable in a country still shadowed by the Nazi legacy of World War II.
Even the party’s entrance into Parliament “would be a dramatic milestone,” said Frank Decker, a political scientist from the University of Bonn. “In the past there were a few individual old Nazis who made it into the national Parliament, but there has never been a party on the far-right of the political spectrum.”
Several polls estimate that the AfD, which has morphed from an anti-euro currency party to one opposed to immigration, will win 10 percent to even 15 percent of the vote.
Merkel’s Christian Democrats — who vote as a bloc with their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union — remain on track to emerge as the strongest party, with about 36 percent of the vote. The Social Democrats are estimated to win about 22 percent.
Entrance into Parliament would strengthen the AfD by making it eligible for public financing and increasing its visibility. Its members would serve on parliamentary committees and would force more established parties to respond more clearly on issues like immigration and redefining the national identity.