BY Eleonora Vio =

To no one’s surprise, German Chancellor Angela Merkel won a fourth consecutive term on Sunday, assuring overall stability in Berlin during what has been a crucial election year for the European Union. But while Merkel’s victory further solidifies her position in the EU’s political hierarchy, the results were far from ideal. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won 12.6 percent of the vote, drawing key parliamentary support away from Merkel and marking the first time in over half a century that a far-right party will enter the Bundestag.

Germans voted for continuity, but will get quite a bit of change

The Twilight of Angela Merkel

Germany: Right Wing Rising?

In April, Eleonora Vio reported on the increasing visibility of right-wing forces in Germany’s conservative east, highlighting in particular the astronomical rise of the anti-immigration AfD party. “As time passes, the resentment the East has harbored toward the more-liberal West has widened the gap between the two sides of Germany,” she wrote. “Today, these divergent sentiments reflect the polarization that has emerged across Europe and worldwide.” As the AfD prepares to transition into a mainstream political party, will Germany’s famously pragmatic leader be able to keep it at bay?

Eleonora Vio is a freelance journalist and co-founder of Nawart Press media platform. She focuses on the Middle East, particularly on Islamic radicalism and gender-based stories, as well as European right-wing extremism.