Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party has won nearly 44 per cent of the vote in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt — more than double the share won by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's governing Christian Democrats.
Preliminary results show the AfD secured 39 of the state parliament's 83 seats, leaving it just three short of an outright majority — but the result still marks the strongest showing by a far-right party at state level in Germany since the Second World War.
All mainstream parties have so far refused to govern alongside the AfD, raising serious questions about whether any workable coalition can now be formed.
Ross Cullen reports from Paris.
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Ross Cullen in Paris says the result is already causing significant political fallout across Europe, despite the AfD narrowly missing an outright majority in the eastern German state.
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