Far-right election win in Germany adds uncertainty to shaky China-EU relations
Outcome could harden Berlin’s stance towards Beijing ahead of an October deadline for trade rebalancing, analysts say
The landslide victory of a far-right party in a German state election has raised doubts about whether a politically weakened Berlin can remain a driving force behind the European Union’s increasingly tough approach to Beijing amid mounting trade tensions.
During the weekend election in the country’s eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) took 43.8 per cent of the vote, according to preliminary results, achieving its best state-level result but falling short of securing an absolute majority. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) saw their share more than halved to 17.2 per cent.
While AfD co-leader Alice Weidel appeared to be friendlier in her stance towards relations with Beijing, the election outcome could reinforce Berlin’s increasingly tough stance on trade with China, rather than softening it, analysts argued.
However, Germany’s domestic political turmoil could leave Berlin too distracted to lead the bloc’s strategy against Chinese industrial competition, they added.
“The EU is entering the most consequential period in its relations with China in many years,” said Noah Barkin, senior adviser at Rhodium Group.