Germans under 25 gave the AfD 16% of their vote in the European elections, with particular support in the east

Germans under 25 gave the AfD 16% of their vote in the European elections, with particular support in the east

Paul Friedrich, 16, could not wait to cast his first ballot and had no doubt which German party had earned his support in the watershed European elections.

“Correct, I voted AfD,” he said proudly in the bustle of the commuter railway station in Brandenburg an der Havel, an hour from central Berlin.

The far-right Alternative für Deutschland made particularly stunning gains on Sunday among young voters. For the first time in a national poll, 16- and 17-year-olds could cast their ballots – a reform that had been strongly backed by left-leaning parties.

After overwhelmingly supporting the Greens five years ago, Germans under 25 gave the AfD 16% of their vote – an 11-point rise – helping place the party second behind the opposition CDU-CSU conservatives and well ahead of the Social Democrats of the chancellor, Olaf Scholz.

The AfD tapped deep wells of support in the former communist east, winning in every state including Brandenburg, where it claimed 27.5% of the vote.

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And his concerns echo those of many teenagers and twentysomethings in town: fears of war spreading in Europe, inflation, economic decline, “unchecked” immigration and, above all, violent crime, which they say is rampant when they use public transport or hang out in public spaces at night.

    • ZK686@lemmy.worldEnglish
      111·
      5 months ago

      I’m glad that crime is down, overall, but it effects people differently depending where they live. I live in California, and drive for a living…traveling to Northern and Southern California often… while some violent crime is down, things like car break-ins, retail theft, petty burglary, and hate crimes have not really changed. Again, people will only react to what they have personally experienced. I was in San Francisco last week… it’s still a shit show. Homeless using drugs, crazy people walking around threatening everyone, theft… nothing has changed.

      • Everythingispenguins@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        5 months ago

        Despite a slight trend upward. The crime rate is at historic lows in California. Crime being out of control is exactly what the fear mongers want you to think. They say it, you see a few news reports on it. Then you are more prone to believe it when you seem crime in your area. Yes there is a trend up in crime San Francisco, but are you seeing new crime or the same crime in new areas. It seems very likely that much of this crime already existed in the area. Unfortunately do to rising housing costs, and gentrification. People have been pushed out and are spilling on to the streets.

        https://www.ppic.org/publication/crime-trends-in-california/