Far-right German party wins 'historic' state election for first time since Second World War

ITV News reporter Chloe Keedy reports from Germany following the "historic" set of results

A far-right party in Germany is celebrating an "historic" set of election results after becoming the first to win a state vote in the country since the Second World War.

Alternative for Germany (AfD) claimed victory with 32.8% of the vote in the eastern region of Thuringia on Sunday.

AfD finished well ahead of the main opposition party - the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) - which managed a vote share of 23.6%, while the parties that make up German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government also performed poorly.

Mr Scholz's Social Democrats party saw its support in Thuringia fall to single digits, with the other two parties which make up the national government, the Greens and Free Democrats, losing all of their seats.

The results have been hailed as a "historic success" by Alice Weidel, AfD co-leader. The party's leader in Thuringia, Björn Höcke - who has been convicted of knowingly using a Nazi slogan at political events - added he felt "a great, great deal of pride".

Projections for a separate vote in Saxony put AfD in second place, marginally behind the CDU which has led the state since German reunification in 1990.

Despite the win, AfD is unlikely to form a government in Thuringia as other parties have said they will not form a coalition with it.

The CDU's national general secretary, Carsten Linnemann, said: "Voters in both states knew that we wouldn't form a coalition with AfD, and it will stay that way - we are very, very clear on this."

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Ms Weidel denounced the comments as "pure ignorance", adding that "voters want AfD to participate in a government".

AfD, which has its strongest support base in Germany's formerly communist east, has tapped into deep discontent within Mr Scholz's government.

Anti-immigration sentiment and skepticism towards German military aid for Ukraine have also contributed towards growing support for the party.

Last month, Mr Scholz's government announced new restrictions to help tackle knife crime and ease deportations after a suspected Syrian extremist carried out a knife attack in the city of Solingen, killing three people.

Germany's next national election is due in a little over a year.

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