Poland concerned over AfD's success in German state election
Poland's presidential chancellery has voiced concern over the far-right Alternative for Germany party's win in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, citing its pro-Russian stance as a threat to Polish interests.
Pawel Szefernaker, head of the chancellery of Polish President Karol Nawrocki, expressed concern on the Zero television channel over the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's victory in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt. He described the party's platform as "dangerous and unacceptable" from Poland's perspective.
Szefernaker said the rising popularity of far-right forces in neighboring Germany creates a "real problem" for Poland, since several points of the AfD program conflict with Warsaw's interests. He specifically highlighted the party's pro-Russian positioning, pointing to its proposal to lift sanctions against Russia as an example.
Blaming Merkel's policies
The Polish official argued that the AfD would not have reached its current standing without earlier decisions made by former Chancellor Angela Merkel. He pointed to Merkel's "open-door" migration policy as well as her "green course" policy as factors that fueled the rise of the far right. At the same time, Szefernaker stressed that Poland should focus on cooperating with those German political forces with which it can find common interests.
The AfD scored a historic win in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, while the CDU of Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to lose more than half of its seats in the regional parliament. Merz himself called the result the heaviest defeat for his party in decades, but pledged to continue his course of reforms.
