Far-right win in German state election sparks alarm across Europe

The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a historic state election in Saxony-Anhalt, marking the first such victory in Germany since World War II and triggering alarm across Europe. The AfD secured nearly 44% of the vote and 39 of 83 parliamentary seats, though it remains short of an absolute majority as mainstream parties refuse to cooperate with it. The party advocates for immigrant deportation and ending support for Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the result a warning to Europe, while reactions elsewhere were divided. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the threat is growing, and Italy's government showed a split, with Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini celebrating and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani calling it terrible news.