Europe wrestles with impact of historic regional gains for Germany's AfD
The anti-immigration AfD party achieved a historic electoral victory in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, though it narrowly missed an outright majority. The result puts significant pressure on the national coalition government and highlights growing political polarization in Germany.
Why it matters
This result marks the most significant electoral success for a far-right party in Germany since 1945, potentially destabilizing the EU's largest economy.
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 1.7m out of 59m eligible voters nationwide. How significant can its political sentiments be, especially since the AfD narrowly failed to win an outright majority?
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