Saxony-Anhalt: "Explosive government mixture" - researchers warn of hard-to-control AfD faction
The AfD may soon be in charge in Saxony-Anhalt. But certain MPs may go their own way and slow down the government, according to an analysis by the Institute of the German Economy.
Researchers at the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW) warn that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party may face conflicts in a potential government in Saxony-Anhalt due to its large number of directly elected lawmakers who may not be easily controlled by the party leadership. The AfD won 43.8% of the vote in the September 6 state election, becoming the strongest party with 39 seats, but fell short of an absolute majority.
IW researcher Matthias Diermeier notes that directly elected lawmakers tend to be more loyal to their local constituents than to the party leadership, which could lead to difficulties in finding compromises in government. This phenomenon was also observed in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where 22 of 32 AfD lawmakers were directly elected. The IW warns that this could create an "explosive government mixture" if not managed carefully.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
