Four German nationals holidaying in Kerala, cast their postal votes for their country’s federal elections, at the German Honorary Consulate in the city on Monday. This is the first time that German citizens have cast their votes for national elections in Kerala. The collapse of the Traffic Coalition of the Socialist Party of Germany, Free Democrats and the Greens last November led to an early election, at least seven months earlier than usual. A host of issues like the emergence of the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD), the alleged interference of U.S. business tycoon Elon Musk to influence the German voters through his open posts supporting the AfD, and increasing levels of anti-migrant trends have turned this year’s elections a highly polarised and volatile. The polling station, Goethe-Zentrum, was established in 2008 with the primary objective of offering German language classes at levels A1 to C2. The centre offers the most modern infrastructure, including air-conditioned classrooms with smart boards and facilities such as a cafeteria, amphitheatre, garden, and self-study room.
