Elections in Germany

AfD party leader in Thuringia Bjorn Höcke (left) and National party co-leaderTino Chrupalla (right) applaud Robert Sesselmann (center) on his June 25th victory to become District Administrator of Sonneberg, in the state of Thuringia.

By Carolyn Yeager

TWO LOCAL RUNOFF VOTES IN EASTERN GERMANY were won by the Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD), now the country's most successful far-right party since World War II.

Robert Sesselmann won the June 25^th District Administrator election in Sonneberg, a small district in east Germany's Thuringia state. It was the first time a candidate from the far-right party was elected to head a government. A district administrator does not have much clout, but jubilant AfD leaders are hoping the victory will herald far greater political success.