Roberta Metsola Voices Concern Over Growing Influence of German Populists

Brussels (Eurotoday) – Roberta Metsola said the results of the upcoming German snap elections would be a “litmus test for all of Europe”

The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola has voiced concern over the possible victory of populists in the upcoming German parliamentary elections and what that would imply for Europe.

Why does Roberta Metsola see German elections as a litmus test?

According to a story published in Funke Media Group, she explained the German parliamentary or Bundestag campaign and its results as also “a litmus test for all of Europe. What influence will populist parties gain? she wondered and who “will disillusioned citizens vote for?.” She expressed the “European election [in June] was already a kind of snapshot, but after the state elections in East Germany, I am very concerned.”

Roberta Metsola urged Germany’s pro-European parties to stand together on critical issues. “What happens in Germany in the next four years has a major impact on the next four years of the European Union,” she said.

Which parties are showing strong results in eastern Germany?

State elections in three East German states in September resulted in a muscular showing for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The AfD succeeded in the election in Thuringia and came in second in Saxony and Brandenburg. The populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a new group running in the state polls for the first time, posted double-digit shares in all three elections, seizing third place in all three.

How does Metsola propose Germany strengthen its role in Europe?

Metsola directed her plea at the pro-European, pro-Ukraine parties in Germany: “They should stand together on important future issues.” She also recommended the German government take a clear stance on European matters. “A strong Europe needs a strong Germany. And a determined Franco-German alliance, also complemented by Poland and Italy.”

Moreover, Metsola was questioned if she supported the German government in delivering Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Taurus missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometres. “Yes, that is also the position of the European Parliament. There is broad support for this demand. We will see if there is a corresponding policy change after the Bundestag elections,” she expressed.