Scholz Escapes Another Defeat to Far Right in German State Vote

Scholz Escapes Another Defeat to Far Right in German State Vote Governing Social Democrats secure narrow win in Brandenburg Anti-immigrant AfD party comes second with about 30% of votes Olaf Scholz 's Social Democrats held off the far-right Alternative for Germany and look set to cling on to power in the eastern state of Brandenburg, sparing the chancellor and his party another embarrassing electoral setback.

The SPD, which has ruled the former communist region surrounding Berlin since reunification in 1990, secured a narrow victory in Sunday's election with 30.9%, according to preliminary results , halting a run of woeful performances by the party in state ballots. The anti-immigrant AfD, which is much stronger in eastern Germany than in the west and won in Thuringia this month , came second with 29.4%.