Far-right politician takes second place in local German election

Stefan Hartung, member of the far-right Free Sachsen party, took second place, with 47 percent of the vote, in the Aue-Bad Schlema mayoral election on Sunday. Members of Free Sachsen previously belonged to the National Democratic Party of Germany, which was described in 2017 by the nation’s highest court as “similar in nature to National Socialism.” Aue-Bad Schlema has fewer than 20,000 residents, but this election result is a clue that the far right is alive in Germany.