TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Representatives from the German state of Saxony have stated that increased support for a far-right party in the state will not impact the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) plant currently under construction.

Speaking at SEMICON Taiwan on Friday (Sept. 6), Saxony’s economic minister, Thomas Kralinski, told Taiwan News that his ministry has closely monitored the project and worked hard to support it. He mentioned that TSMC expects 2,000 to 3,000 Taiwanese, including staff and their families, to relocate to Saxony for the project.

Saxony has implemented a range of plans to accommodate the expected migration from Taiwan, considering the types of housing and amenities Taiwanese people will need when they arrive, Kralinski said. According to Saxony Trade and Invest, these arrangements include legal changes, a possible Mandarin-language school, and other services to make migration for Taiwanese and others easier.

Despite enthusiasm from business and government, the results of Germany’s state elections held on Monday (Sept. 6) have raised concerns about increased anti-immigration sentiment.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party received the most votes in Thuringia and finished a very close second in neighboring Saxony, with 30.6% of the vote. The party, categorized by the German government as a proven extremist group, holds hard-line anti-immigration views.

Mainstream parties in Saxony and Thuringia have said they will exclude the AfD from coalition talks, making it unlikely that the party will be part of the next state governments. However, the AfD’s support, combined with that of another minor anti-immigration party, represents about 40% of the vote in Saxony.

Kralinski said he is not particularly concerned about support for the AfD affecting the immigration of Taiwanese people to the state, adding that Saxony’s government is likely to remain under the stable control of the parties currently in power. He also pointed out that around 70% of people did not vote for the AfD.

“This is important, because it’s the majority,” Kralinski said, emphasizing that the focus of the upcoming coalition talks will be on creating positive developments for the entire Saxon economy, including for TSMC.

Kralinski expressed confidence that Saxony will be able to attract people from other parts of Germany and from abroad without concern.

Frank Bosenberg, director of Silicon Saxony, a microelectronics business alliance, also attended SEMICON Taiwan and told Taiwan News that there will be no change in the state’s direction. He said there is a lot of misunderstanding about the AfD outside of Germany.

Bosenberg explained that while the AfD opposes illegal immigration by asylum seekers, it is not officially against the migration of skilled workers. He also pointed out that other parties have ruled out working with the AfD.

“They will be a strong opposition party, but by no means will they come into power,” Bosenberg said. “So objectively, we will not see any change in policy in Saxony.”

“In particular, foreigners do not have anything to fear,” Bosenberg added, noting that the development of the semiconductor industry has led to a substantial increase in the number of foreigners in the state who enjoy living and working there.

Bosenberg said that while Silicon Saxony is not aligned with any political party, it will not remain apolitical in the face of right-wing extremism. “We will stand up for the values of democracy, freedom of speech, tolerance, diversity, and a welcoming culture; we will continue to do so,” he said.

When asked about the other minor anti-immigration party that received around 10% of the vote in Saxony, Bosenberg said it is unclear what their next steps will be, as this was their first election. “We now have to see what they actually stand for,” he said.

The TSMC plant under construction in Dresden, Saxony, is a joint venture between German and Dutch companies. Workers broke ground at the site on Aug. 21, and the factory is expected to begin mass production in 2027.

Over 10 billion euros (NT$354.4 billion) will be invested in the plant’s construction. In anticipation of the project, Saxony established a liaison office in Taiwan, and exchanges between National Taiwan University and TU Dresden focused on semiconductor industry training began in September 2023.