"As the far right rises in eastern Germany, companies struggle to attract skilled foreign workers," 28 August 2024

...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...

The AfD’s anti-foreigner stance is the cornerstone of its campaign, raising concern among businesses like Jenoptik, Gaikwad’s employer... More... prospective employees tell Traeger that while they would love to work for Jenoptik, they won’t take a job there... Nonetheless, the AfD in an interview with the AP... [explained that] migrants with work permits would “of course not be affected,"...

A recent poll of more than 900 German companies by the Institute for the German Economy also showed that a majority sees the AfD as a risk, both for securing skilled workers and for investment in the region.

Last year, businesses and individuals set up Cosmopolitan Thuringia, a grassroots network to promote tolerance, diversity and “indivisible human rights,” which now has more than 7,940 members.