Judgment Day Has Arrived For Merkel, And The Rise Of The Extreme Right Is Terrifying

Sunday is Germany's Judgment Day; the people will vote in a referendum on Chancellor Merkel's refugee policies. It's the day they vote on the chancellor's ability to continue to make Germany feel safe and welcoming, after one million migrants entered the country last year, and with hundreds of thousands more expected. But first and foremost, it will be the definitive test for Merkel ahead of her nomination for a fourth term.

On Sunday, three German states will vote on whether or not to renew their regional parliaments' terms. This year matters more than ever before, both at a national and a European level. For one, the decision will affect roughly 17 million Germans -- 20 percent of the population. In addition, the vote comes at a crucial moment, with right-wing xenophobia and nationalism on the rise on one hand, and cracks appearing in the ironclad CDU-CSU alliance on the other.

Additionally, if the German political center of gravity shifts to the right, that may have repercussions across Europe, especially if Germany's policies on opening its borders and hosting refugees, Syrian or otherwise, should change. So far, Merkel has never shown even the slightest sign of making concessions on the topic.

These days, local elections and polls are causing waves in the usually calm, placid lake of German politics. One noteworthy election was the one held last week in Hesse, in the center of Germany. The populist right-wing party Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) won 13.2 percent of the vote, becoming that region's third most prominent party.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gianni-del-vecchio/judgment-day-has-arrived-_b_9422380.html