Donald Trump praised the hard-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) after it surged to first place in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, claiming Germans had grown "tired" of immigration policies he called "horrible." The result puts the party within reach of power at state level for the first time since the Second World War and has triggered alarm among European leaders, who fear it signals growing momentum for the far right across the continent.

The AfD won 44 per cent of the vote, more than doubling its previous support and leaving it just three seats short of an outright majority, while the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) collapsed to 17 per cent. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described himself as "deeply shocked" and acknowledged the need for reform, while figures including Poland's Donald Tusk, Spain's Pedro Sánchez and allies of France's Emmanuel Macron warned of a rising "extremist threat" and called for moderate parties to unite ahead of future elections, including France's 2027 presidential race.