As Germany and other EU countries continue to struggle to find a way to adequately handle the migrant crisis that has been affecting the continent for the last three years, the politicians of the countries affected by the crisis (particularly Germany) may be facing a new challenge as their constituents go to the polls in 2016.

“If we don’t see the success in limiting the tide of refugees, we could have a grassroots political tremor in German” an anonymous senior German government official said regarding the link between voter turnout in the upcoming 2016 elections in Germany and the ongoing refugee crisis.

The citizens of Germany have been expressing outrage over Prime Minister Merkel’s support of the large influx of migrants into Germany, after migrants attacked women in Cologne on New Year’s Eve. Many in the recent surge of migrants have come from North Africa and the Middle East.

“If Merkel doesn’t deliver you could see the AFD approaching 20% in the polls”, the anonymous government official continued in his statement. AFD stands for the Alternative for Germany party. The AID currently has 1.9% of the vote in the Bundestag, which is equivalent to 810,915 votes.

2016 state elections in Germany are set to be held in mid-march, with support of what are considered “far right” political parties on the rise after the attacks in December and also a fear that the migrants will be allowed to continually enter almost freely as the Syrian civil war continues and the violence causes by ISIS in Iraq.

“Three thousand years Europe! One thousand year Germany”! AFD politician Bjorn Hocke shouted at a recent party rally, expressing the discontent of many Germans.

The Syrian Civil war which started as a revolution attempt in 2011 failed to overthrow Bashar al- Assad and then spread out to a civil war as numerous groups attempted to gain power.

“They present themselves as a political alternative capable of action in contrast with the so called old parties” Alexander Hausler said during an interview. Mr. Hausler is part of the research unit at the University of Applied Sciences at Dusseldorf which studies right wing extremism and neo-Nazism.

The Christian Democratic Union/ Christian Social Union have the most seats in the Bundestag with 311 seats or 41. 5% of the vote, coming in second is the Christian Democratic Union with 255 seats and 34.1% and the Christian Social Union with 56 seats and 7.4% of the vote.

In the September 2013 state elections, the AFD received 810,915 “first votes” which wasn’t enough to guarantee them representation in the Bundestag, however with the ongoing migrant crisis it is possible that the electorate may increase their support for the party.

“These are developments that touch on real problems to some extent and are thus also the reason why right-wing populism has been able to gain ground in Europe, including among left- leaning voters” Mr. Hausler continued in his statement.

In the latest polls available for the March elections, the AFD is getting 10.7% of the vote, while Angela Merkel’s CDU party remains on top at 35.1%.

“We were just pressed on all sides by people” a victim of the New Year’s Eve attack, named Johanna said in an interview. “I was grabbed continually. I have never experienced such a thing in any German City.”

In conclusion, Germany should be able to implement a policy where it controls its borders and sovereignty, while at the same time accepting legitimate refugees who are fleeing war and violence in their home countries.

Links to sources:

1) DW Link (1): https://www.dw.com/en/refugee-policy-is-mixing-up-the-party-landscape/a-18994862

2) DW Link (2): https://www.dw.com/en/trying-to-strike-a-blow-to-right-wing-populist-party-germanys-left-wounds-itself/a-19003256

3) Reuters Link: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics-idUSKBN0UH08V20160103

4) Bundestag Political Make up Link: https://electionresources.org/de/bundestag.php?election=2013

5) New York Times New Years Eve attack: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/15/world/europe/as-germany-welcomes-migrantssexual-attacks-in-cologne-point-to-a-new-reality.html