The Alternative for Germany party is rising to new heights in Bavaria, surging to 18 percent of the vote, according to an Insa poll. Not only is it a record for the AfD in the state, but it also means the powerful state has the strongest showing for the AfD of all western German states.
During state elections just a year ago, the AfD scored 14.5 percent of the vote, which was also a record at the time, representing a jump of 4.4 points from its last election showing there. Unlike the east of Germany, which is sidelined in terms of power in the federal government, Bavaria is a wealthy heavyweight that commands political, economic, and social power within Germany.
The AfD’s strong showing comes at a time when Bavaria is increasingly facing more and more migration pressure, with towns and cities being flooded by migrants, a development that Remix News has routinely reported on. Among the projects for migrants is a luxury lakeside asylum home worth €6 million near Lake Starnberg, which is facing its own housing crisis.
The Christian Socialist Union (CSU), which currently rules Bavaria, also saw a jump to 43 percent. Although the figure is down from historical highs, it marks the best result for the party under its current leader, Markus Söder.
Notably, the CSU has been blamed by many for the spiraling migration crisis in the state, paying lip service to anti-immigration sentiment while generally allowing for the construction of asylum centers across the state.
With the figure of 43 percent, the CSU would have its pick of coalition partners. Just like their sister party, CDU, the CSU party has vowed to never work with the AfD.
At the same time, the conservative Free Voters (FW) are at 11 percent. Bavaria stands out in the west as an extremely conservative state, with the center-right and right-wing parties totaling 72 percent of the vote.
Meanwhile, most of the establishment parties are struggling. The FDP is barely measurable in Bavaria, along with the Left Party. The left-wing BSW currently would just squeak into parliament at 5 percent. The SPD is lingering at 8 percent, a slight drop from the 8.4 percent it scored in state elections. The Greens have seen a huge drop to 10 percent, a drop of 4.4 points from a year ago.
