German election 2017: President pleads with voters to turnout as AfD support surges
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German election 2017: President pleads with voters to turnout as AfD support surges
GERMANY’S President has pleaded with voters to turnout in the election as polls showed a surge in support could see the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) become the largest opposition party. Writing for the newspaper Bild, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of the Social Democrats, appeared to warn AfD supporters could triumph if other voters stayed at home.He wrote: “It has perhaps never been as clear that the elections are about the future of democracy and Europe."If you don't vote, others decide.” Both Mrs Merkel and her main challenger, Social Democrat leader Martin Schulz, are concerned that a low turnout could work in favour of smaller parties like the AfD.In Germany's proportional election system, low turn-out can boost smaller parties, giving them more seats from the same number of votes.Last year’s regional elections saw Merkel's party suffer setbacks to the AfD, which profited from resentment at her 2015 decision to open German borders to more than one million migrants. Mr Schulz, who has described the AfD as "gravediggers of democracy” “a party of haters” and, yesterday, also urged people to vote yesterday.He said: "Young people, think about Brexit. Think about Trump.“Go vote. Take this right to vote seriously, and use it.”In a bid to challenge the right-wing surge, Mrs Merkel's interior minister, Thomas de Maiziere, promised government would combat Islamic terrorism by strengthening European borders and bolstering security at home.
He criticised the AfD as "a wolf in sheep's clothing" and said Germany's domestic intelligence agency was studying "whether right-wing extremists are seizing power and exerting influence on the party".The AfD was founded in 2013 with the original goal of opposing large bailouts of financially strapped euro zone countries but from 2015 shifted its focus to immigration.Mainstream parties have ruled out governing with the AfD.It has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks after its top candidate Alexander Gauland said the German integration minister should be dumped in her parents' homeland of Turkey, and that Germans should be proud of what their military did in World War One and Two. Jewish and Muslim groups say the AfD's rhetoric has opened the door to more hate speech and anti-Semitism.An INSA poll published by the Bild newspaper on Saturday suggested that support was slipping for Mrs Merkel's conservatives, who dropped two percentage points to 34 per cent, and the SPD, down one point to 21 per cent. The two parties currently govern Germany in a "grand coalition”, an unwieldy arrangement which may not be able to reform this time around.Mrs Merkel may instead opt to form a “Jamaica coalition” with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens.The leaders of the main parties were pictured casting their votes on Sunday.Voting opened at 8am local time on Sunday, with polls closing at 6pm.. 00FastNews. Please Subscribe!
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German election 2017: President pleads with voters to turnout as AfD support surges
GERMANY’S President has pleaded with voters to turnout in the election as polls showed a surge in support could see the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) become the largest opposition party. Writing for the newspaper Bild, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of the Social Democrats, appeared to warn AfD supporters could triumph if other voters stayed at home.He wrote: “It has perhaps never been as clear that the elections are about the future of democracy and Europe."If you don't vote, others decide.” Both Mrs Merkel and her main challenger, Social Democrat leader Martin Schulz, are concerned that a low turnout could work in favour of smaller parties like the AfD.In Germany's proportional election system, low turn-out can boost smaller parties, giving them more seats from the same number of votes.Last year’s regional elections saw Merkel's party suffer setbacks to the AfD, which profited from resentment at her 2015 decision to open German borders to more than one million migrants. Mr Schulz, who has described the AfD as "gravediggers of democracy” “a party of haters” and, yesterday, also urged people to vote yesterday.He said: "Young people, think about Brexit. Think about Trump.“Go vote. Take this right to vote seriously, and use it.”In a bid to challenge the right-wing surge, Mrs Merkel's interior minister, Thomas de Maiziere, promised government would combat Islamic terrorism by strengthening European borders and bolstering security at home.
He criticised the AfD as "a wolf in sheep's clothing" and said Germany's domestic intelligence agency was studying "whether right-wing extremists are seizing power and exerting influence on the party".The AfD was founded in 2013 with the original goal of opposing large bailouts of financially strapped euro zone countries but from 2015 shifted its focus to immigration.Mainstream parties have ruled out governing with the AfD.It has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks after its top candidate Alexander Gauland said the German integration minister should be dumped in her parents' homeland of Turkey, and that Germans should be proud of what their military did in World War One and Two. Jewish and Muslim groups say the AfD's rhetoric has opened the door to more hate speech and anti-Semitism.An INSA poll published by the Bild newspaper on Saturday suggested that support was slipping for Mrs Merkel's conservatives, who dropped two percentage points to 34 per cent, and the SPD, down one point to 21 per cent. The two parties currently govern Germany in a "grand coalition”, an unwieldy arrangement which may not be able to reform this time around.Mrs Merkel may instead opt to form a “Jamaica coalition” with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens.The leaders of the main parties were pictured casting their votes on Sunday.Voting opened at 8am local time on Sunday, with polls closing at 6pm.. 00FastNews. Please Subscribe!
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RANDOM NEWS:
'May was gushing with praise for EU' Farage slams Government for appeasing Juncker: http://youtu.be/Q6MzbbsBS4g
'They put the kitchen sink in' David Davis mocks EU's 'ridiculous' divorce bill dreams: http://youtu.be/FoGaXrZihGc
Theresa May's leadership 'under threat as almost 50 MPs want PM out': http://youtu.be/MwkZbpWk9C0
Michael Gove demands Camberley must feature on M3 road signs: http://youtu.be/7BJ4oUBSNfg
Puerto Rico dam on verge of COLLAPSE: 70K forced to evacuate after Hurricane Maria floods: http://youtu.be/Usay1ev5zYU
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