A pact with the far right in Thuringia rattles German politics
By propping up a state premier, Alternative for Germany win a publicity coup
NEVER LET anyone say a handful of votes changes nothing. Last October, had Germany’s liberal Free Democrats (FDP) won 74 fewer votes in an election in the east German state of Thuringia, they would not have entered its parliament. Bodo Ramelow, the popular state premier, might have had the numbers to renew his left-wing coalition. And Thomas Kemmerich, the FDP’s leader in Thuringia, would not have scandalised the country on February 5th by leaning on the votes of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to win a parliamentary ballot to succeed Mr Ramelow.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “The splintering states”
Europe February 8th 2020
From the February 8th 2020 edition
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