The little-known German state of Thuringia has been thrust into the global spotlight after a far-right nationalist party's election victory there — the first in any German state since Nazi rule.
Alternative for Germany, or Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), secured the most votes in Thuringia on Sunday.
It also made strides in the Saxony state election, gaining almost as many votes as the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) — Germany's main national opposition party.
The results are a heavy blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's already-embattled coalition government and reflect the growing fragmentation of the political landscape and rise of anti-establishment parties across Europe.
Mr Scholz called the losses for his coalition "bitter" and urged mainstream parties to form governments without "right-wing extremists".
Here's what you need to know about Alternative for Germany and what its win means.
What is AfD and who is Björn Höcke?
AfD was founded in 2013 as an offshoot of the CDU, presenting itself as a right-wing movement that was critical of the European Union's policies but supportive of German membership.
The party has since then drifted further to the political right and shifted its focus to immigration and Islam.
And as "proven right-wing extremist" groups, its branches in Saxony and Thuringia are under the official surveillance of the German domestic intelligence agency.
The party is at its strongest in the formerly communist east Germany, which is less prosperous than the country's west.
Its Thuringia state leader, Björn Höcke, has been convicted of knowingly using a Nazi slogan at political events, a conviction he is appealing against.
A court in the eastern city of Halle fined the 52-year-old history teacher turned politician for using the banned phrase "Everything for Germany", or "Alles für Deutschland" in German. The phrase was inscribed on weapons used by Nazi paramilitary officers. Germany has strict laws against the use of slogans and symbols linked to the Nazi party.
Mr Höcke had previously taken legal action against journalists who accused him of being a fascist and a Nazi. He claimed he was defamed, but the court ruled the use of the words was viable because of various statements he had made.
He also faces trial on charges of incitement in a separate case related to a 2022 Telegram post.
Will the party form government?
AfD won 32.8 per cent of the vote in Thuringia — well ahead of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union at 23.6 per cent.
In Saxony's election, the AfD was overtaken, but only just. The CDU took 31.9 per cent of the vote, with the AfD trailing at 30.7 per cent.
But the AfD's Thuringia win does not automatically mean that it gets to form a state government because a party must hold more than half of the seats in parliament parliament or form a coalition government with other parties to reach a majority.
"While the AfD gained the most votes in Thuringia, it still won't have a majority in the state parliament, and the other parties have ruled out governing with it," said Andrew Beattie, associate professor of German and European studies at the University of New South Wales.
He said that would make it difficult to form new, stable governments in Saxony and Thuringia.
When was the last time a far-right party won an election in Germany?
Alice Weidel, a national co-leader of AfD, said the victory on Sunday was a "historic success" for the party.
She also described it as a "requiem" for Mr Scholz's coalition.
But Dr Beattie said while the results were historic, it was important to keep them in perspective.
"This is the first time since the Nazi era that a far-right party has won a regional election in Germany," Dr Beattie said.
"In the last nationwide election — for the European Parliament in June — the AfD received 16 per cent, so we're not looking at a nationwide far-right takeover."
He added Thuringia was one of the smallest of Germany's 16 states, with just over 2 million residents out of a national population of more than 80 million, while Saxony's population was 4 million.
"Politics in the eastern states are also often quite different from the national norm," he said.
"For the last 10 years, Thuringia has been the only German state with a premier from The Left party.
"But it is remarkable – and concerning – that about one in three voters in these two states voted for a party that the states' own constitutional protection services have declared to be 'extremist'."
What does it mean for German politics?
With just over a year to go before Germany's next national election, Sunday's results could increase the pressure on Mr Scholz to be tougher on immigration and intensify the debate over support for Ukraine. The two issues dominated state election campaigns.
In Thuringia, AfD managed to tap into anti-immigration sentiment. A recent mass stabbing in the western city of Solingen carried out by a suspected extremist from Syria helped push the issue back to the top of Germany's political agenda, and it prompted Mr Scholz's government to announce new restrictions on knives.
The German government's faltering authority could also complicate European policy at a time when the bloc's other major power, France, is still struggling to form a government after snap elections in June and July.
Dr Beattie said the weekend's results were mainly significant in the regions where they occurred, but they do hold significance in other ways.
"They confirm the unpopularity of the parties in the national coalition government … even if it's normal for these parties to underperform in these regions," he said.
Mr Scholz's government is made up of his own party, the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens, and the Free Democrats.
"Another aspect that shouldn't be overlooked is the split in the populist left," Dr Beattie said.
In Thuringia, the Left Party of outgoing Governor Bodo Ramelow lost more than half the support it had five years ago, dropping to 13.1 per cent.
Sahra Wagenknecht, long one of its best-known figures, left last year to form her own party — the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance — which is now outperforming the Left Party.
Yet the biggest challenge may emerge for the Christian Democrats, who could face increased pressure to start working with the AfD, Dr Beattie said.
"Nationally, some Christian Democrats will be tempted to position themselves further to the right in order to woo back AfD voters," he said.
What's behind the AfD's rise?
Factors that have contributed to support for the AfD in eastern Germany include deep discontent with the national government, anti-immigration sentiment and concern about German military aid for Ukraine.
"There are lots of reasons for people to be unhappy with the current national government. One is its internal bickering and very public in-fighting," Dr Beattie said.
"The three parties often don't agree on policy or spending priorities. They need to work together but also maintain their own profiles and, especially as the next elections approach, compete with one another."
Meanwhile, Dr Beattie said, the economy was not growing and unemployment was rising, if only slightly.
"There is a strong sense among many people who are in precarious economic circumstances that the government is not looking after their interests."
He said people in Germany's eastern states believed the AfD would do more to fight for the region's interests than the other parties.
Part of the AfD's appeal is also that it has never been in government, he said.
"None of the established parties seem to have the answers or solutions that some people want to the country's many challenges," he said.
"This doesn't just cause discontent with the parties and their leaders, but also with the whole 'system', which the AfD tries to magnify."
Europe more broadly is experiencing a rise in far-right politics, with radical-right parties making significant gains in the European Parliament elections in June.
There has been growing fragmentation in the political landscape as governments across Europe struggled to deal with crises including the Ukraine war and inflation.
ABC/wires
