Germany’s SPD Wins Brandenburg Election with Tactical Voting

Germany’s Social Democrats narrowly won the Brandenburg election, defeating the far-right AfD. Now, they must form a coalition with hard-left BSW as traditional partners faltered. The result underscores the rising influence of extremist parties in Germany.

Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD), led by Dietmar Woidke, narrowly won the Brandenburg regional election with 31% of the vote, largely due to tactical voting aimed at excluding the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, which came in second with 29%.

The SPD now faces the challenging task of forming a coalition government with the hard-left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), as traditional partners like the Greens performed poorly.

Analysts note the growing influence of extremist parties on Germany’s political landscape.