As Germans head to the polls on Sunday to vote in pivotal legislative elections, immigration will be a key issue on their minds. It’s nearly 10 years since Angela Merkel’s famous phrase “Wir schaffen das” (We can manage this), when images of German citizens welcoming asylum seekers made headlines the world over. Since then, the tide has turned and the far-right AfD party has become Germany’s second political force. Our correspondents report.
For the vast majority of Germans, immigration has become a major source of tension. While some municipalities have succeeded in integrating refugees, others feel they have been overwhelmed. Over the last decade, Germany has accepted 46 percent of all asylum seekers in the EU, and the debate on migration has become much more radical, especially with several recent terror attacks committed by radicalised asylum seekers.
The far-right AfD party has capitalised on this migration crisis to push its polling figures to 20 percent. FRANCE 24’s Anne Mailliet, Nick Holdsworth, Uwe Trautenhahn and Caroline du Bled report from the state of Brandenburg.
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