German Chancellor Angela Merkel will soon be out of power in Germany. She leaves behind a country divided by populist pressure and a fractured Europe fueled by xenophobia. As contenders vie for her power, the increasingly authoritarian governments of Hungary, along with the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia, demonstrate one path forward — one that Merkel’s successor should be keen to avoid.

Merkel’s announcement comes amid political setbacks for her center-right Christian Democratic Union party. In recent elections in both Hesse and Bavaria, the current ruling coalition lost badly, signaling a loss of confidence among the electorate.