Far-Right's first state election victory since WWII 'divides society, damages economy and ruins Germany's reputation'

GERMANY'S chancellor Olaf Scholz has described a historic election victory by right-wing "extremists" as "bitter" and "worrying".

- Mark Reynolds

He was speaking after Alternative for Germany (AfD) became the country's first far-Right party to win a regional election since the Second World War.

Mr Scholz said: "Our country cannot and must not get used to this. The AfD is damaging Germany. It is weakening the economy, dividing society and ruining our country's reputation." Yesterday he urged other parties to block the AfD from power. He said: "All democratic parties are now called upon to form stable governments without right-wing extremists."

Nazi

The AfD which is anti-immigration, anti-EU and pro-Russia - won big in the eastern state of Thuringia, taking nearly a third of the vote.

It was nine points ahead of the conservative CDU, and far in front of Germany's three governing parties.

The AfD came a close second in Sunday's other big state election, in the more populous neighbouring state of Saxony.