Europe wrestles with impact of historic regional gains for Germany's AfD
The far-right AfD party achieved significant gains in German regional elections, creating political instability for the national coalition government. Analysts view this as a potential turning point in German politics.
Why it matters
The rise of nationalist parties in major European economies impacts continental stability and policy direction regarding immigration and the EU.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund says the party has won a clear mandate to govern
"Seismic", "a socio-political earthquake", "a watershed moment for Germany".
This was how political analysts and many media outlets described the stunning victory of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in local elections in Germany on Sunday. Is that an exaggeration?
Saxony-Anhalt is one of the smallest of massive Germany's 16 regions. It boasts a mere 1.7 million out of 59 million eligible voters nationwide.
How significant can its political sentiments be, especially since the AfD narrowly failed to win an outright majority?
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in