Many observers had seen it coming, but the shock was still profound. When the first projections for the state elections in the eastern German states of Thuringia and Saxony appeared on the screens on the evening of September 1, it was clear that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was the big winner.

In Thuringia, it became the strongest party, far ahead of the established mainstream parties, the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and center-left Social Democrats (SPD). In Saxony, the AfD finished second with 30.6%.

The left-wing nationalist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), founded at the beginning of the year by former members of the socialist Left Party, finished third in both states, securing 11.8% of the vote in Saxony and 15.8% in Thuringia.

Both the AfD and the BSW are currently decisive political forces in both federal states. Their primary issues are the rejection of an open asylum and migration policy, and less support for Ukraine in the fight against Russia.

These developments represent a turning point for the postwar German party system. Never before in has there been such a massive shift away from traditional parties such as the CDU and SPD.

"There are two perspectives on this: one says that new parties such as the AfD or the Wagenknecht alliance are a reaction to current events, such as the dispute in the governing coalition or the general........

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