As the far right rises in eastern Germany, companies struggle to attract skilled foreign workers
As the far-right Alternative for Germany gains more power in eastern Germany, companies there find it increasingly hard to attract the skilled foreign workers they desperately need
By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Published - Aug 28, 2024, 01:28 AM ET
Last Updated - Aug 28, 2024, 01:29 AM EDT
JENA, Germany (AP) — When electrical engineer Preetam Gaikwad first moved to Jena in 2013, she was smitten by what the eastern German city had to offer: a prestigious university, top research institutions, and cutting-edge technology companies, global leaders in their field.
Eleven years later, the Indian native takes a more sober view.
“I’m really worried about the development of the political situation here,” Gaikwad, 43 said. Jena is in the eastern German state of Thuringia, which has elections on Sept. 1.
The far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, is currently leading the polls with about 30% support, far ahead of the center-right Christian Democrats (21%) and the center-left Social Democrats of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (7%).
