Social Democrats narrowly defeat far-right AfD in Brandenburg state election

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) won the Brandenburg state election with a slight lead over the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. According to various sources, the SPD secured between 30.9% and 31.8% of the vote, while the AfD received between 29.2% and 29.4%. The SPD's victory is seen as a rare moment of respite for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's embattled coalition government, but it is unlikely to give him a major boost due to the popularity of the incumbent SPD premier, Hubert Dietmar Woidke, who distanced himself from Scholz during the campaign. Additionally, the Green Party, allies of the SPD, failed to win any seats, making it difficult to form an SPD-led coalition.