Germany’s Scholz suffers setback in regional election

Berlin, September 1

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) was on track on Sunday to become the first far-right party to win a regional election in Germany since World War Two, exit polls showed, but was almost certain to be excluded from power by rival parties.

With a year to go until Germany's national election, the results look punishing for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition, though his Social Democrats looked to have cleared the 5 pc threshold for staying in the parliaments of both states.

However his coalition partners, the Greens and the business-friendly Free Democrats looked less secure in both parliaments, in a development that could herald yet more conflict in Scholz's already fractious coalition government.

The AfD was projected to win 33.5% of the vote in the state of Thuringia, comfortably ahead of the conservatives' 24.5%, broadcaster ZDF's exit poll showed. In the neighbouring state of Saxony, the conservatives led on 32%, just half a percentage point ahead of the AfD.