Political cartoonists react to German election

After the German election saw Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party lose ground to most rivals, particularly the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), political cartoonists from around the world wasted little time in illustrating the political consequences – and to inevitably focus on the specter of revived nationalism in Germany.  

For most cartoonists, the German election has produced a political powder keg in which the chancellor, who was elected for a fourth term on Sunday, will struggle to fend off the far-right AfD, which gained seats for the first time in the federal parliament. Despite the dark overtones, the political sketches also offer plenty of humor.   

Winners and losers

Far away in Australia, cartoonist David Rowe published a sketch in the Australian Financial Review that plays on the AfD's upsurge by showing the chancellor also having to move to the right.

Closer to home, Vienna-based cartoonist Marian Kamensky highlighted the real winner of the German election – a common theme among political commentators and cartoonists alike.

Read more:How artists and cultural institutions reacted to the German election

The rise of the far-right AfD in Germany is inevitably causing anxiety among the local Jewish population, which was well-illustrated by Italian cartoonist Paolo Lombardi:

Read more: Local AfD leader's Holocaust remarks prompt outrage

Some cartoonists played on popular culture villains such as Pennywise, the evil clown in "It," the hit adaptation of Stephen King book, to portray the rise of the AfD. 

Read more: Far-right AfD enters German parliament: What it means for German politics

German political cartoonist, Heiko Sakurai, whose infamous sketches of the chancellor have been appearing in major newspapers for over a decade, was also quick to highlight Merkel's explosive post-election political reality. 

On election day, Greek cartoonist Tasos Anastasiou focused on a battle between two major parties which, for many, offer much the same policies – a battle that Merkel inevitably always wins.  

 

A Bangkok-based cartoonist highlighted the importance of the German election to the rest of the world in light of Trump's sabre rattling against North Korea.   

Finally, cartoonist Konstantinos Tsanakas, whose pen name is Dino, again illustrated the shallow foundations of Angela Merkel's electoral triumph.