Abstract
There is no straightforward narrative behind recent series of events in East Germany’s state of Thuringia, which have thrown German politics into disarray.
On 5 February, Thomas Kemmerich, the largely unknown leader of the pro-business Free Democrats, a party that won only five percent of the votes in state elections in October, became Thuringia’s State Premier. His election was made possible by the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The long-standing CDU’s policy of Brandmauer – “firewall” – that is meant to keep the far-right from power was, at this stage, broken.
On 5 February, Thomas Kemmerich, the largely unknown leader of the pro-business Free Democrats, a party that won only five percent of the votes in state elections in October, became Thuringia’s State Premier. His election was made possible by the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The long-standing CDU’s policy of Brandmauer – “firewall” – that is meant to keep the far-right from power was, at this stage, broken.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 1-2 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Specialist publication | Australian Outlook |
| Publisher | Australian Institute of International Affairs |
| Publication status | Published - 17 Feb 2020 |