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WORLD NEWS Thursday 14 sepTember 2017

German right-wing party on course to enter parliament

By FRANK JORDANS audience gave a standing
CHRIS NOELTING ovation to party co-lead-
Associated Press er Alexander Gauland, a
PFORZHEIM, Germany (AP) 76-year-old former civil ser-
— A nationalist party that vant. Gauland, a former
wants Germany to close its member of Merkel’s Chris-
borders to migrants, give tian Democratic Union,
up the euro and end sanc- sparked controversy last
tions against Russia is pre- year by saying that Ger-
dicted to enter parliament mans don’t want to live
for the first time, propelled next to a black football
by voters’ anger at Chan- player. He made head-
cellor Angela Merkel’s de- lines again recently for
cision to admit over a mil- suggesting that the gov-
lion refugees since 2015. ernment’s integration czar
Alternative for Germany, should be “disposed of”
or AfD, is forecast to take in Turkey, from where her
between 8 and 11 percent family emigrated before
of the vote on Sept. 24, giv- she was born. In Pforzheim,
ing it dozens of lawmakers Gauland touched on a
in the national parliament. subject the party’s support-
Some polls even project ers are particularly anxious
that it could even place about: the influx of migrants In this Aug. 29, 2017 photo supporters of the Alternative for Germany party hold posters “Merkel
must go” and a flag “Our country, our homeland “ as they protest during a campaign event
third behind Merkel’s party from Muslim-majority coun- of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Bitterfeld, eastern Germany. The nationalist party AfD
and the center-left Social tries such as Syria, Iraq and that wants Germany to close its borders to migrants, leave Europe’s common currency and end
Democrats. If the predic- Afghanistan. sanctions against Russia is predicted to enter Parliament for the first time.
tions are correct, it would “Only if we defend Europe (Hendrik Schmidt/dpa via AP)
be the first time in 60 years against a new Islamic inva- in Pforzheim, which is lo- blies and the European Par- Soviet Union and hold more
that a party to the right sion,” he told the crowd, cated at the northern tip of liament. Observers say AfD conservative views than
of Merkel’s conservative “do we have a chance Germany’s Black Forest. His benefited from Pforzheim’s the general population.
Union bloc has attracted to remain a majority in this party achieved a surprise large population of so- One such voter, Waldemar
enough votes to enter the country and survive.” victory there in last year’s called Russlanddeutsche Meister, said he thinks AfD is
Bundestag. “It’s quite an Gauland’s anti-Islam com- regional election. It now — ethnic Germans who the only party that listens to
achievement for a right- ments fell on fertile ground has seats in 13 state assem- emigrated from the former people’s concerns.q
wing party to clear the 5
percent minimum thresh-
old,” said Gideon Botsch, Spain:
a political scientist at the
University of Potsdam near Officials crank up pressure on Catalan breakaway bid
Berlin. AfD’s poll numbers
are all the more remark- MADRID (AP) — Spain’s top Jose Manuel Maza’s office position of carrying out fered to provide municipal
able because the party prosecutor is investigating said. commands from Madrid in premises as polling stations.
has become increasingly more than 700 Catalan The announcement sig- their towns and cities. Most of Catalonia’s mayors
extreme since its found- mayors for cooperating nificantly raised the stakes The pro-independence co- have said they would co-
ing in 2013, according to with a planned referendum in an increasingly tense alition ruling Catalonia has operate with the referen-
Botsch. on the region’s indepen- standoff between Catalan vowed to hold the referen- dum.
“German voters haven’t dence after the nation’s independence support- dum, defying a prohibition However, the willing may-
wanted to vote for a constitutional court or- ers and national authori- by Spain’s Constitutional ors represent less than half
right-wing party in recent dered the vote put on hold, ties over the referendum Court. It has asked the 947 of the region’s voting-age
decades,” he said. “Ger- the prosecutor’s office said planned for Oct. 1. mayors in the northeastern population.
many’s Nazi history is ob- Wednesday. If mayors and their munici- region to provide voting fa- Urban support is key for the
viously one of the reasons Catalonia’s regional po- palities cannot help orga- cilities. pro-independence move-
for that.” At an election lice force is under orders nize balloting, the vote is Maza ordered the prosecu- ment, especially the Cata-
rally last week in the south- to arrest the mayors if they unlikely to proceed. Maza’s tors in Spain’s 17 provinces lan capital of Barcelona,
western city of Pforzheim, a refuse to appear for ques- order also puts regional po- to investigate the 712 may- which is home to around 20
mostly male, middle-aged tioning, State Prosecutor lice officers in the uneasy ors who already have of- percent of voters.q