Why Germany’s watchmakers are worried about the AfD

Yet some of Glashütte’s watchmakers, which sell their wares across the globe and employ skilled workers of many nationalities, now worry that the town’s changing politics will tarnish their brands. Although the people of Glashütte are proud of their watchmaking history, only some are employed by the industry; many of the nine watchmakers’ 1,800 employees commute from elsewhere. The town’s inhabitants, like many in Saxony, feel left behind by globalisation. The state has become a hotspot for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which polls suggest is neck-and-neck with the centre-right Christian Democratic Union for first place in state elections due to be held on September 1st.