Following the state election results in Saxony-Anhalt, marked by the victory of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), a pall descended on the European Commission. "The floodgates have opened in Germany. How far will this wave go?" wondered one of its leaders in private, anxious ahead of a series of upcoming elections in Italy, Spain, Poland and France. The regional elections held on Sunday, September 20, in Germany sharpened an existential question for the European Union's institutions, now surrounded by the rise of parties questioning their very legitimacy. Their influence has already begun to unsettle member states. With the AfD now leading in the polls, will its rise paralyze the German government and block decisions to come?
A weakened German chancellor is never good news for Brussels. "In the coming weeks, the government's top priority will be domestic policy," predicted a European diplomat. Chancellor Friedrich Merz had already canceled his trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York to remain in Berlin after Sunday's election and manage his coalition.
