Scholz survives as his party edges far-right AfD in Brandenburg election – POLITICO

WANDLITZ, Germany — Embattled German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dodged a bullet on Sunday as his Social Democrats (SPD) held off the far right in a key regional election in the eastern state of Brandenburg.

The victory gives Scholz, who is struggling to hold his fractious three-party coalition together, a reprieve — at least for the time being. His approval ratings have hit record lows, and he was even asked not to campaign in Brandenburg due to his unpopularity with voters.

The SPD finished first in Brandenburg, according to preliminary projections, with 30.7 percent of the vote, followed by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) with 29.4 percent. A new populist-leftist party known as the BSW came in third with a stunning 13.4 percent. The center-right Christian Democrats (CDU), who lead national polls by a substantial margin, placed fourth with 12.1 percent.