Germany Heads to the Polls: AfD Threatens Social Democrats Stronghold in Brandenburg

Germany’s state of Brandenburg could be on the brink of a major political shift as voters head to the polls this weekend in a neck-and-neck race between the AfD and Social Democrats. The latest poll by ZDF Politbarometer Extra put the right-wing populist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) slightly ahead at 28 percent, closely followed at 27 percent by the center-right governing Social Democrats (SPD), who have long considered the region a heartland. AfD-Brandenburg is hoping to replicate its recent successes in Saxony and Thuringia, where it emerged as the leading political force. On Sept. 1, the AfD secured nearly 33 percent of the vote in Thuringia and almost 31 percent in Saxony, setting a new precedent in eastern Germany....