Voters elected the Alternative for Germany (AfD) to the German parliament for the first time Sunday.
The political party has taken aim at Chancellor Angela Merkel and immigration policies.
AfD finished third with 12.6 percent of the national votes. This party focused its campaign in opposition to Merkel’s open-door refugee policies. Alexander Gauland, one of the party’s top candidates, said the first order of business will be to find “a different policy” on immigration.
“One million people, foreigners, being brought into this country are taking away a piece of this country and we as AfD don’t want that,” Gauland said during a news conference Monday, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation. “We say I don’t want to lose Germany to an invasion of foreigners from a different culture. Very simple.”
Gauland warned the government to “buckle up” after the first exit polls were released Sunday night. (RELATED: German Populists Vow To ‘Hunt’ Merkel, ‘Reclaim’ Country After Election Success)
Merkel claimed responsibility for the emergence of AfD but vowed to not allow the party to have any influence.
“The parties that are capable of forming coalitions with each other will seek solutions – there are of course differences … but AfD will have no influence,” Merkel said Monday.
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