SPD Holds Narrow Lead Over AfD in Brandenburg State Election

potsdam - The German left-wing government party SPD narrowly secured a victory in the state of Brandenburg, with their state premier Dietmar Woidke leading the way. The anti-Russian and far-right AfD party trailed behind by a percent in the exit polls. The outcome was highly anticipated as a close race.

The Social Democrats faced the possibility of a disastrous scenario with popular figure Woidke potentially stepping down if the party didn't secure the most votes. However, with a gain of about 5 percent from the previous state election, Woidke is expected to remain in his position.

At the AfD's campaign celebration, attendees chanted about expelling people, while posters displayed messages about mass deportations, reflecting leaked plans that sparked protests in the past winter.

Woidke referred to AfD's success as a concerning signal for those who value tolerance, given the party's openly extreme-right stance. Despite economic growth in the state, which recently attracted a Tesla factory and foreign engineers, the result raised alarms.

Woidke strategically kept Chancellor Olaf Scholz away from the campaign due to his unpopularity. The Green and liberal partners of SPD in the federal government also had modest scores, while leftist Sahra Wagenknecht's movement outperformed the conservative CDU.

An Infratest survey revealed that more women supported the left-wing SPD and pro-Russian populists, while AfD was more popular among young voters and the SPD among seniors. National parliamentary elections in Germany are set for September 28, 2025.