Germanyâs center-right opposition is on course to win this weekendâs election, but gains by the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) will likely be the biggest story.
The incumbent chancellor is unpopular, and Germanyâs economy is sluggish: After decades as Europeâs industrial heartland, it is now âviewed as kaputt,â the BBCâs Europe editor said. Its dependence on Russian gas, Chinese demand for its goods, and US defense has been exposed.
Large-scale migration â Germany took in a million refugees from Syria and Afghanistan in 2015-16 alone â combined with a spate of terror attacks have gathered support for the previously beyond-the-pale AfD. The party is unlikely to reach government, though, as mainstream parties will try to form a coalition without it.