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.

Friedrich Merz may have staved off the ascension of the far-right Alternative for Germany party for now, but the newly elected chancellor faces a critical test that will have seismic consequences for all of Europe,

The success of the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is a sign of the times. Across Europe, far-right parties once on the fringe have gone mainstream.