The far right could be on the brink of its first election victory in a state known as the bastion of Germany's social democrats. Brandenburg, close to Berlin, has been governed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) ever since German reunification.

The victory gives Scholz, who is struggling to hold his fractious three-party coalition together, a reprieve — at least for the time being. His approval ratings have hit record lows, and he was even asked not to campaign in Brandenburg due to his unpopularity with voters.

The Social Democrats of Chancellor Olaf Scholz won an election in the eastern German state of Brandenburg on Sunday (September 22, 2024) gaining a narrow edge over a growing far-right party, according to the vote count. The vote took place three weeks after the far right made gains in two other states in eastern Germany.

A state election is taking place in Brandenburg three weeks after a far-right party made gains in two other states in eastern Germany

Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats held off the far-right Alternative for Germany and look set to cling on to power in the eastern state of Brandenburg, sparing the chancellor and his party another embarrassing electoral setback.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is predicted to come first in an election in Brandenburg on Sunday, seeking to build on gains in other eastern states this month and beat Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats in a traditional stronghold.

Following AfD’s victory in Thuringia, race in one of smallest German states in terms of population becomes focus of attention

Germans in the state of Brandenburg were voting in a regional election on Sunday with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) expected to finish first, building on successes in other eastern states and beating Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats in one of their traditional strongholds.

Germany looks set to narrowly avoid having a far-right party as the strongest force in a second state on Sunday, just weeks the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) became the first far-right party in post-war history to win an election.