Germany’s Far-Right Win Tests Europe’s Democratic Resilience

The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) won Sunday's state election in Saxony-Anhalt, raising concerns across Europe due to Germany's history and status as the EU's largest economy. The result signals the growing importance of immigration and nationalism in the region. The AfD fell three seats short of the 42 needed to govern alone but could form a coalition with the radical left. The defeat primarily impacts Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU/CSU alliance and the SPD. The EU has so far managed far-right gains in France, Spain, and elsewhere without institutional collapse. Italy's Giorgia Meloni has moderated her authoritarian impulses, contrasting with Hungary's Viktor Orbán, who left power after losing an election.