FLASH NEWS
Elections in Germany! Immigration and cost of living, the biggest problems of citizens
2025-02-19 15:48:20 / BOTA
Germany is set to hold elections on Sunday, with immigration and the cost of living among the top concerns for voters. As VOA's Henry Ridgell reports, the leading candidate to be Germany's next chancellor has accused Washington of meddling in the election.
Hartmut Kuether grew up in the former East Germany and built a successful carpentry business after German reunification. For decades, he voted for the center-right Christian Democrats. His vote changed in 2015, when then-Chancellor Angela Merkel allowed more than 1 million migrants into the country. Mr. Kuether is now a member of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD.
“The problem was the black people, who were not nice, who were not the way I wanted them to be. You have to show a little consideration and they don’t do that at all,” he says. The Alternative for Germany party is capitalizing on voters’ disillusionment with immigration. In polls ahead of Sunday’s election, it is in second place, with 21 percent support.
"I support a ban on illegal immigration," said the co-chair of the Alternative for Germany party. Meanwhile, a series of terrorist attacks in Germany, the latest in Munich on Friday, has further intensified the debate on immigration. The AfD has won the support of billionaire businessman Elon Musk, a key ally of US President Donald Trump.
But the party's rhetoric has sparked reactions among many Germans. The AfD is being monitored by domestic intelligence services on suspicion of being an extremist organization. Protests against the far-right have been held in Berlin and other cities in Germany. "I find it absolutely worrying that racism and right-wing communication are becoming the norm," said protester Antje Marta.
Immigration is dominating the election campaign, says analyst Sarah Wagner. “This is the main issue that voters are noticing and that will influence their vote. Probably the second most important issue is the state of the economy. People are facing a cost of living crisis more than they did in the last election in 2021,” says analyst Wagner.
Economic pressures led to the collapse of the three-party coalition government in November. Current Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats, wants to increase borrowing as a mechanism to deal with the budget deficit, as well as to help finance military aid to Ukraine.
Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democrats, who lead the polls with 29 percent, says the country should not borrow more.
“The economy of the Federal Republic of Germany is now lagging behind other European Union countries. We are last,” he says. Mr Merz is unlikely to secure a governing majority, but has ruled out forming a coalition with the far-right AfD. That prompted criticism from US Vice President JD Vance, who told delegates at the Munich Security Conference on Friday that “the voice of the people matters.”
Christian Democrat leader Merz accused Mr. Vance of interfering in the German elections./ VOA
Happening now...
ideas
Magnificent Albania or Bazaar Albania!
Nga Ermal Peçi!
Albanians must overcome the old Rama-Berisha polarization on May 11
Nga Namir Lapardhaja
top
Alfa recipes
services
- POLICE129
- STREET POLICE126
- AMBULANCE112
- FIREFIGHTER128