Far right on course to win key elections in Germany
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00:00It's a regional election that could be pivotal.
00:03Support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party has grown in the eastern states
00:08of Thuringia and Saxony, as the anti-immigration party leads the polls with around 30 per cent.
00:14But it is also met with a strong anti-right-wing sentiment, like on the streets of Erfurt,
00:20the capital of the Thuringia state.
00:22Hundreds crowd the town square calling on voters to stop fascism.
00:27I really hope that society will send a strong signal and that all democratic elements will
00:31join forces and take to the streets to send a loud message.
00:35Fascism has no place here.
00:38I hope that the AfD will get less than 30 per cent.
00:41I even hope for much less.
00:42And I hope that the democrats from other parties will join forces to form a government without
00:46the AfD.
00:51Far-right activists also demonstrated at the same time heightening tensions, but local
00:56police contained the crowds to avoid clashes.
00:59The AfD party, originally an anti-Euro party, scored a record 15.9 per cent in the EU parliamentary
01:06elections and is heading strong into the regional elections with an agenda promising to tackle
01:11immigration, the energy crisis and inflation.
01:15The elections come one week after a knife attack in the west of the country, allegedly
01:21linked to the Islamic State organisation and igniting anti-immigration sentiment, further
01:26helping the AfD gain support among voters in East Germany.
01:33Germany needs controlled borders again and the robust expulsion of illegal migrants.
01:41And I demand the immediate expulsion of all of them from our country, all criminals, all
01:46extremists.
01:50An AfD victory would be a first in a regional election, but even if it wins the party is
01:55unlikely to come to power as it will need to form a coalition, but other parties have
02:00already ruled this option out.