Germany’s nationalist AfD won a landslide victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, potentially making it the first far-right party to gain power since the end of World War II.
The record result came largely at the expense of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU, possibly marking a death knell for the establishment’s “firewall” strategy of excluding the far right from coalitions.
Unless the AfD wins outright, it faces a protracted fight to form a coalition, and regional governments have explored blocking the Euroskeptic party — which advocates mass deportations and closer Russia ties — from intelligence briefings.
The looming dysfunction is “not the best situation for a country and an economy that still needs substantial reforms,” ING analysts wrote.
