Scholz's coalition weakened by 'disastrous' far-right gains
The Hindu
Scholz's coalition suffers losses in two State elections; far right gains. 14M eligible to vote, 80% calling for change in migration policy. SPD, Greens, FDP all saw support fall.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's beleaguered coalition was counting the cost on October 9 of heavy losses at two State elections halfway into its term, which also saw the far right make strong gains.
All three parties in the coalition— Mr. Scholz's centre-left SPD, the Greens and the liberal FDP— saw support fall on October 8 in the southern region of Bavaria, the country's biggest State, and Hesse in the west.
The main conservative opposition won in both polls, as expected, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) gained more ground, causing fresh concern about their growing appeal.
Nearly 14 million people were eligible to vote in the States, almost one in five of Germany's electorate. The polls were seen as a crucial indicator of the population's mood, with surging immigration and economic woes among key topics.
"It is clear who won the vote: populism," said news weekly Der Spiegel while the top-selling Bild said a whopping 80 percent of Sunday's voters were calling for a change in migration policy, citing polling institute Infratest dimap.
Two years after coming to power, the polls were a kind of "interim report card" for Mr. Scholz's coalition, Der Spiegel said.
"The results are disastrous," it went on. "The coalition needs a reset if it wants to be re-elected in two years."
With a new government in place in Delhi, Singapore hopes to schedule the Ministerial Roundtable with India shortly, says Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. In an exclusive interview, he speaks about the impact of the elections on ties, the “missed opportunity” of RCEP and the new buzz around Andhra Pradesh’s capital Amaravati.