(VOVworld)- The three-year-old Alternative for Germany Party (AfD) has shaken up Germany’s political landscape with dramatic gains in regional elections in 3 states on Sunday entering the state parliament for the first time. The victory means AfD will enter the general election in 2017. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrat party (CDU) suffered painful defeats to more left-leaning parties in two out of three states.

AfD supporters react after state election exit polls are announced- Photo Sebastian Willnow/AFP

With just 31.8% of the votes, the CDU failed to oust the incumbent Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Rheinland-Pfalz, which won 36.2% of the votes. The Alternative for Germany Party won more than 10% of votes and entered the state parliament for the first time. The election was a bitter defeat for Merkel. A few weeks ago, support for the CDU was 5% higher than for the SPD.

In Sachsen-Antaly, the CDU won 29.2% of the votes, 2.7% less than in the previous election. In second place, the AFD won 22.8%.  In Baden-Wurtemberg, for the first time, the CDU lost its position as the strongest party after wining just 27.2% of the votes. The AfD won 15%.

The AfD received most of its votes from people who had never voted before and voters who said they had voted for the party because of the refugee crisis. The growth of the AfD party puts pressure on the CDU and the SPD who will need to review their current policies. Federal Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maiziere of the CDU party had earlier urged voters not to vote for the AfD. He described the AfD as a party that does not create social cohesion and offers no solutions to current problems. SPD President Sigma Gabriel also warned voters against voting for this newly-established party.

The AfD’s victory, the CDU’s failure, and results of recent polls show that Angela Merkel is losing support among voters because of her policy on migrants. Federal and State politicians in charge of home affairs from the Christian Democratic Party and the Catholic Society Party have criticized Merkel’s refugee policy.

The election on Super Sunday, March 13, was a test for the German government’s refugee policy. The election results suggest that the ruling government needs to be more flexible to win in the general election in 2017.

Photo: