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🇩🇪 Germany /Elections & Politics

Jewish Central Council leader horrified by AfD election victory

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • The AfD won more than 44% in early projections in Saxony-Anhalt, well ahead of the CDU at 17.7%.
  • Central Council of Jews President Josef Schuster said he was horrified and warned that the party could influence education policy.
  • Holocaust survivor Charlotte Knobloch said the result showed Germany’s democratic structure was failing and called on democratic parties and patriots to act more forcefully.

Josef Schuster, president of Germany’s Central Council of Jews, said he was horrified by the AfD’s strong election victory in Saxony-Anhalt. Early projections put the party above 44%, far ahead of the CDU, which stood at 17.7%.

The election result is still open, but one thing is already clear: A party classified as confirmed right-wing extremist is only narrowly short of governing a German state alone.

· Josef SchusterThe Central Council of Jews president assessed the AfD’s projected result in Saxony-Anhalt.

“The election result is still open, but one thing is already clear: A party classified as confirmed right-wing extremist is only narrowly short of governing a German state alone,” Schuster told Welt. “I am personally horrified by this election result.”

Schuster said the AfD’s goals had been clear in recent months and argued that voters who supported the party, whether because of or despite those goals, bore responsibility for the result. He also warned about the party’s possible influence on education policy. “The damage that the so-called Alternative for Germany would now cause if it entered government would be immense,” he said, describing education as the most important foundation for preserving an open society and combating antisemitism.

I am personally horrified by this election result.

· Josef SchusterSchuster described his reaction to the AfD’s strong showing.

Charlotte Knobloch, chairwoman of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, also expressed shock. The 93-year-old Holocaust survivor said, “On days like this, I find it difficult to recognize my homeland.” She added that she could not have imagined right-wing extremists winning elections in Germany in this way, even in her worst nightmares.

The damage that the so-called Alternative for Germany would now cause if it entered government would be immense.

· Josef SchusterHe warned about the AfD’s potential influence, especially on education policy.

Knobloch said the Saxony-Anhalt result showed that “the structure of democracy in our country no longer works” and that this frightened her. She called on “the many true patriots” to become more active, particularly democratic center parties that had made little headway in the state.

On days like this, I find it difficult to recognize my homeland.

· Charlotte KnoblochThe Holocaust survivor and Jewish community leader reacted to the election result.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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