The News
Germany’s center-right opposition is on course to win this weekend’s election, but gains by the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) will likely be the biggest story.
The incumbent chancellor is unpopular, and Germany’s economy is sluggish: After decades as Europe’s industrial heartland, it is now “viewed as kaputt,” the BBC’s Europe editor said. Its dependence on Russian gas, Chinese demand for its goods, and US defense has been exposed.
Large-scale migration — Germany took in a million refugees from Syria and Afghanistan in 2015-16 alone — combined with a spate of terror attacks have gathered support for the previously beyond-the-pale AfD. The party is unlikely to reach government, though, as mainstream parties will try to form a coalition without it.