Germany’s political system is set up to exclude extremists. Yet the country is waking up to a new political reality that has lurched to the right with the once outcast Alternative for Germany (AfD) party now firmly established in German politics.

The party led by Friedrich Merz won the country's national election; the primary voter issues were the economy and immigration

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) became the second largest party in the Bundestag, winning 20.8 percent of the vote in the federal elections.