By: Steve Dellar | 08-31-2017 | News
Photo credit: Afd Alternative for Germany

German Elections: Nationalist Afd Takes Aim At Merkel’s Immigration Policy In First Debate

(Picture: on the Left - AFD candidate Alice Weidel - on the Right - AFD poster stating ‘for the security of our women and daughters).

The heat is getting to Angela Merkel, but from the right side now. Though everyone expected her left-side opponent, Mr Martin Schulz (SPD - left) who Ms Merkel (CDU - right) will debate in four days to pose a bigger threat to her, the heat is coming from the right again as AfD, the alternative fur Deutschland (the alternative for Germany party) is eroding her base, the working class of Germany.

With one month to go before elections in Germany, there was a first debate yesterday on the national channels between what are considered to be the smaller parties. Though politics in Germany is not as fragmented as in the Low Countries (Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium), Austria or Switzerland where one can choose between as much as 15 national parties at elections, German voters still have a choice between many parties on the left and right. But in order to govern, you must always count on the left SPD socialist party or the right CDU conservative party.

<h1>"We need to suspend Schengen"</h1>

Though they have withered in the polls, the nationalist right AfD (Alternative for Germany) comparable to Front National in France but not as extreme as Golden Dawn in Greece, and who’s focus is on stopping immigration, is poised to break the 5% minimum threshold to get into the Parliament.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and her key rival Martin Schulz go head-to-head in a long-awaited TV debate in four days. Yesterday was the turn to the smaller parties.

Participants to the debate were the liberal conservative Free Democrats (FDP), the left-leaning Greens, the far-left Die Linke and far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) who are all polling neck-and-neck in the 7-10 percent range. This is going for third place, because no one doubts Merkel and Schulz will come out on top. But of course, Merkel, if she wins, might have to form a coalition with one of them - so she is paying attention.

<h1>"We have an eroding security situation in Germany … which is a direct effect of uncontrolled immigration."</h1>

In a two-hour program they mainly discussed migration, terrorism and security.

The candidate for AfD, Alice Weidel, came out on top according to post-debate internet polls in many German papers. She is one of two top candidates for the AfD and she presented a softer side in the debate than voters are used to hearing from this party.

The 38-year-old management consultant, said: “<strong>We have an eroding security situation in Germany … which is a direct effect of uncontrolled immigration.</strong> We need to suspend Schengen.”

Source:

http://www.bild.de/politik/inland/talkshow/vier-parteien-in-der-sat1-arena-weidel-afd-flirtet-mit-fdp-lindner-53051612.bild.html

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