德国下萨克森州地方选举在AfD胜利后成焦点

德国下萨克森州将于9月13日举行地方选举，此次选举备受瞩目，原因是极右政党德国选择党(AfD)在邻近的萨克森-安哈尔特州赢得压倒性胜利1。该州约630万人有资格投票1，而AfD在2021年下萨克森州地方选举中的支持率仅为4.6%1。在全国范围内，AfD的支持度也在攀升，9月20日还将举行柏林和梅克伦堡-西波美拉尼亚州的关键州选举1。

对AfD崛起的担忧引发了广泛的社会反抗。德国多地爆发数万人反对该党的示威游行，柏林约18000人参与示威（组织者称有32000人参与），杜塞尔多夫约20000人，慕尼黑约12000人1。示威者要求宪法法院审查AfD是否应被禁止1。德国总理默茨指责该党的"遣返"政策等同于"按肤色和血统进行种族清洗"1，而前总理默克尔则警告称真相与谎言的界限正在模糊1。

此外，安全威胁也成为焦点。俄罗斯GRU军事情报机构被指与8月4日莱比锡/哈雷机场的无人机袭击事件有关1，该袭击发生在2024年7月20日莱比锡物流设施纵火事件之后1。

Lower Saxony held local elections on September 13, drawing significant attention following the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's overwhelming victory in neighboring Saxony-Anhalt, where it secured nearly 44% of the vote 1. Approximately 6.3 million people were eligible to vote in Lower Saxony 1, where the AfD had garnered 4.6% support in the 2021 local elections 1.

The elections occur as the AfD's national polling numbers continue to rise, with further high-stakes state elections scheduled for September 20 in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 1. In response to the party's growing strength, tens of thousands of Germans have taken to the streets in demonstrations opposing the AfD and calling for constitutional review of whether the party should be banned 1. Protest attendance varied by city: Berlin saw approximately 18,000 participants according to police estimates, though organizers claimed 32,000 attended 1; Düsseldorf drew roughly 20,000 demonstrators 1; and Munich saw about 12,000 participants 1.

The political landscape has grown increasingly tense amid escalating security concerns. Russian GRU military intelligence has been implicated in a drone attack on Leipzig-Halle airport, which followed an arson attack on a logistics facility in Leipzig on July 20, 2024 1. German Chancellor Merz has drawn sharp distinctions with the AfD, characterizing the party's deportation policies as equivalent to "ethnic cleansing based on skin color and bloodline" 1. Former Chancellor Merkel has also weighed in on the broader crisis, warning that the boundary between truth and falsehood is becoming increasingly blurred 1.