The former German chancellor Angela Merkel has made a call to the citizens this Saturday to curb the rise of the far right and "fight for democracy," just a week before the regional elections in which Alternative for Germany (AfD) is leading in the polls.
"I think that now, once again, we must truly fight for this democracy --something we haven't had to do in many decades-- and simply defend it, be a little braver, keep our word and say that this is a wonderful way of living," Merkel stated during an event held in Berlin this Saturday, according to the DPA agency.
The former leader emphasized that, despite the polls, the majority of the electorate still does not support AfD, although she warned that the party has ceased to be a marginal force in the east of the country to become a "phenomenon that spans all of Germany." Additionally, Merkel has focused on the good results obtained by the far right in the regional elections of the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, located in the west and traditionally linked to the electorate of the Christian right.
Regarding the campaign in Saxony-Anhalt, which faces regional elections on September 6, Merkel pointed out that AfD has managed, to a large extent, "to dominate all our debates from morning to night." In her opinion, this situation causes many voters to no longer be clear about what the other parties really propose.
On that September 6, a new regional parliament will be elected in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, located in the northeast of Germany. Current polls give AfD a comfortable lead over its competitors.