AfD ahead among young people in simulated election

The AfD performed best in a simulated European and local election for young people in Saxony. Around 26 percent of under-18s voted for the party, according to data published online on Monday by the German Federal Youth Council (DBJR).

The Left Party followed in second place with 14.8 percent. The Greens received 11.6 percent of the vote, followed by the CDU and SPD with 11.2 and 9.8 percent respectively. They were followed by Die Partei (6.2 percent), the Tierschutzpartei (4.3 percent), the Piraten (2.6 percent) and the Tierschutz hier! (2.4 percent). The FDP only received 2.2 percent of the vote.

Nationwide, the SPD performed best with 19.7 percent of the vote. It was followed by the CDU/CSU (19.4 percent), the Greens (13.8 percent), the AfD (13.6 percent) and the Left Party (6.8 percent). The FDP was the seventh most popular party behind the Animal Protection Party (4.3 percent) with 4.1 percent.

The AfD was also the strongest force among young people in Saxony in the simulated local elections with 24.7 percent. The CDU (12.7 percent) and the SPD (12.6 percent) came a distant second and third. They were followed by the Left Party (12.4 percent), the Greens (11.6 percent) and the FDP (5.1 percent).

In total, more than 3,900 votes were cast in the U18 European and local elections. The U18 election is not a representative survey, but is seen as political education. Young people were able to cast their votes from 27 to 31 May.

"We are concerned about the high result for far-right parties such as the AfD - but it would be a fatal signal to attribute these developments to young people alone," said the chairman of the Saxon Children and Youth Ring (KJRS). Right-wing extremist ideologies are deeply rooted in the center of society.