The AfD’s 43.8% victory in the regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt has sparked strong concerns among employers, economists and HR professionals across Germany. They fear that the party’s political agenda, which has been classified as “clearly far-right” by Germany’s domestic intelligence services, could undermine the region’s — and Germany’s wider — economic attractiveness while exacerbating the shortage of skilled labour. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD is three seats short of an absolute majority and therefore cannot govern alone. The party is currently seeking support from the left-wing populist BSW.
As a Berlin correspondent for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business and labour market. My areas of interest include co-determination, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.