Why the conservative AfD party did so well in the German elections

By Janice Atkinson

Published September 25, 2017 6:22pm ET

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Why the conservative AfD party did so well in the German elections — AfD co-chairwoman Frauke Petry, right, and other party leaders arrive for a press conference of the Alternative for Germany, AfD, in Berlin. Petry said that she won't be part of the party's parliament faction on the day after the nationalist party was elected first time into the German parliament. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) | Markus Schreiber

When Marine Le Pen failed to win the French presidency, the elites of Europe hailed “populism” dead in its tracks. They do not like to mention the 11 million votes, 35 percent, she received. They quietly erase the inconvenient truth that she is the opposition in France, that Geert Wilders of the PVV is the official opposition in The Netherlands, and the Italian Lega Nord, and Austria’s Party for Freedom could all be in government in the next few months.

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Angela Merkel Commentary Elections Europe European Union Germany