Germany's Smallest Town Gives AfD Only 1 Vote

In Germany's recent national election, the far-right, anti-immigrant party Alternative for Germany (AfD) saw national gains. However, in Arnis, the country's smallest town, only one of 228 eligible voters supported AfD. Mayor Jens Matthiesen expressed surprise, saying, "We are quite happy that only one person voted for this party. We can live with that." Arnis, home to less than 300 people, favored the Greens, with nearly 42% of 154 voters choosing them.

While AfD became Germany's second-largest political force, it struggled in Schleswig-Holstein, receiving just 16.3% of the vote, lower than the national average of 20.8%. This state remains one of only two without AfD legislators, following a 2022 regional election where the party failed to win any seats. AfD's rise is attributed to a backlash against immigration and economic issues under Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Its strongest support was in the country's east, a traditional stronghold. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)