AfD's Saxony-Anhalt win alarms French political class

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a historic victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, triggering alarm among French presidential candidates from the left and center on Sunday evening. French left-wing figures reacted strongly, with Jean-Luc Mélenchon calling it a "catastrophic demonstration" of centrist blindness and Olivier Faure declaring it an "order for general mobilization." Communist candidate Fabien Roussel blamed EU treaties, while centrist Gabriel Attal called it a "real warning signal" and far-right candidate Éric Zemmour framed it as an "hour of truth." The National Rally party, which has distanced itself from the AfD in recent years, did not immediately react. Party leader Jordan Bardella had said Saturday that renewing ties with the AfD was "not planned," though he acknowledged the AfD's electoral pressure had influenced German border policy.