German right rising, not winning

Polls taken before the regional elections in Germany's Brandenburg state indicated a possible win for the far-right AfD. Those predictions did not materialize as Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left SPD pulled through with a 2-point margin, winning 31% versus AfD's 29%.

• Why is it important: AfD won the state elections in Thuringia earlier this month, becoming the first far-right party to win a state election in Germany since World War Two. A possible AfD win in Scholz's home state Brandenburg would have meant embarrassment for the unpopular Chancellor, further highlighting the rise of the extreme right in Germany.

• Zoom out: Although AfD did not come in first, the party significantly increased its vote share, especially among the youth. Anti-AfD demonstrations played an important role in mobilizing voters concerned with the rise of the far right, producing a record turnout of 73%.