Neo-Nazi lost an east German election, but extremism remains
A neo-Nazi candidate surprisingly lost a mayoral election by a small margin in the eastern state of Saxony. Many are relieved. But one win doesn't
A neo-Nazi candidate surprisingly lost a mayoral election by a small margin in the eastern state of Saxony. Many are relieved. But one win doesn't make the extremism problem go away. The small town of Aue-Bad Schlema rarely makes headlines in Germany. Located in the Ore Mountains near the German-Czech border in southeastern Saxony, it is surrounded by picturesque forests and is far removed from the bustle of the big cities. In this old mining region, people are deeply connected to their roots and take pride in preserving traditions such as brass band music, nutcrackers and the famous ornamental Christmas pyramids. But the near-victory of a candidate from a party officially classified as far-right-extremist has had lingering effects in Aue-Bad Schlema. "When you walk through the town today, you see cheerful people. But that can be misleading," Jürgen Freitag told DW. Freitag is an editor with Freie Presse (Free Press), a newspaper covering the Ore Mountains. "Appearances can be deceptive,' Freitag said. "I perceive the town's mood as divided." How much of a neo-Nazi party is the German AfD? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A long tradition of Nazism in Saxony Stefan Hartung, a far-right politician from the Freie Sachsen (Free Saxons) party, came close to being elected the town's mayor.
He received about 47% of the vote in the June 7 runoff election, losing by a small margin to Marcus Hoffmann of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who secured 53%. Hartung hails from Bad Schlema and has been active in local politics for many years. He was previously a member of the neo-Nazi Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), which Germany's top court has described as being akin to Nazism in its ideology. He serves as deputy chairman of the Freie Sachsen party, which in Germany is considered even more radical than the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is itself officially classified as extremist in Saxony. The state domestic intelligence service describes it as follows: "Freie Sachsen is a grouping of neo- Socialists organized as a political party." The party's campaigns against immigrants in Germany are especially radical. They incite hostility toward refugees and immigrants, broadly blame them for violence in the country, and call for mass deportations. So far, the party has not achieved any notable political successes. In Saxony's most recent state elections, it received just over 2% of the vote. In the 2024 local elections, it remained below 5% across the board. Erzgebirge: Germany's Ore Mountains To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video State of democracy remains a concern The Freie Sachsen party has now drawn national attention after reaching Aue-Bad Schlema's mayoral runoff — an achievement resulting from heavy investment.
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