When the Christian Democratic Union won the German parliamentary elections in February, it was far from a reassuring victory.

The Alternative for Germany, the nation’s most prominent right-wing political party, had ridden a wave of resentment against establishment immigration policy and anti-nationalism to secure a stunning second place finish.

Recommended Stories

Merz ends first year as most unpopular German chancellor in post-war history

Majority of Germans oppose ‘firewall’ against cooperating with AfD in parliament, poll finds

CDU promises Germans stable solutions to immigration, terrorism, and defense ahead of election