In the end, a somewhat boring election campaign that ignored many of the issues ended in a political earthquake.
For the first time in decades, a racist, right nationalist party, AfD (Alternative for Germany), entered the German parliament.
While the AfD’s entry into the Bundestag was expected, the size of its vote shocked many, despite its recent recovery in opinion polls.
It jumped in as the third largest party with nearly 6 million votes, 12.6% of the total. The surge in AfD support, up from just over 2 million votes in 2013, is a sign of the unrest and dissatisfaction that has developed amongst sections across the country despite recent economic growth.
Click here for the continuation of this article by Robert Bechert on the CWI website.