Summary
Voters in Frankfurt an der Oder, a city in eastern Germany, participated in a run-off mayoral election where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has the opportunity to win its first mayoral seat in a German city. Independent candidate Axel Strasser and AfD's Wilko Moller, who were top in the first voting round, went head-to-head. The election occurred shortly after Germany's parliament stripped two AfD lawmakers of their parliamentary immunity due to legal issues.
Key Facts
- The election was in Frankfurt an der Oder, a city near the Polish border, not to be confused with Frankfurt am Main.
- The run-off was between Axel Strasser (Independent) and Wilko Moller (AfD), with Strasser getting 32.4% of votes and Moller receiving 30.2% in the first round.
- AfD is the largest opposition party in Germany's parliament and known for its far-right views.
- Two AfD lawmakers recently lost their parliamentary immunity—one due to defamation charges, the other for making an illegal Nazi salute.
- The German Association of Towns and Municipalities states there are no AfD-affiliated mayors in major German cities.
- The Brandenburg domestic intelligence labels the AfD a confirmed far-right extremist group, a classification the party disputes.
- AfD is under surveillance by German authorities, leading to debates about potentially banning the party.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the extremist classification, and Germany's government responded by emphasizing the importance of stopping right-wing extremism.
