Karl Arnerdal

AfD Embarks on Historic Victory in Saxony-Anhalt, Challenges Merkel's Germany The far-right German party AfD becomes the largest party in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt but without having its own majority. SVT's European correspondent Tomas Thorén explains the results of the state election and what it means for the future. A party with high nationalist views has taken a historic victory with 43.8 percent of the votes but without its own majority. The far-right AfD has taken back our country. Our goal was not just realistic, but what the people wanted, says the party's top candidate Ulrich Siegmund on his election campaign. This is a result not only for Saxony-Anhalt but for the entire Germany. We will use all our forces to extend our hand but right now I see nothing that indicates we can form a coalition, he says. The left-wing extremist Sahra Wagenknecht's BSW has cleared the hurdle and thus the dust of AfD's dream of its own majority. The party now has a mediating role which can choose between the different faction's minority governance. BSW's top candidate in the state Claudia Wittig has earlier not wanted to bind itself to a decision but sees cooperation with AfD in individual issues such as energy policy. She also thinks that a government without AfD would be ”completely undemocratic”. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz CDU halves its share of votes and ends up on 18.5 percent but remains the second-largest party according to the vote count. With nearly two million inhabitants Saxony-Anhalt is one of Germany's smaller states. The election is seen as symbolic and a hint at AfD's chances for similar success nationwide. The party wants to fundamentally change migration policy, invest in Russian language education in schools, establish "good relations" with Moscow, abandon wind power constructions and shut down public service media. See article on SVT News.

West Bank Violence Soars Amid Settlement Expansion and Protests Over Mother's Rights Attack from Israeli settler areas increases in northern parts of the West Bank at the same time as larger city areas start their "Moderate Mothers' Large Scandal" at the same time as we previously reported on how settlements have contributed to an increase in attacks against Palestinian villages and now there is further evidence that violence is increasing... See article on SVT News.