Relief for Angela Merkel as AfD held at bay in German regional elections

There was relief for Angela Merkel on Sunday as the nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AfD) failed to make a widely forecast breakthrough in key regional elections. The AfD made significant gains in elections in two states in the former communist east, but fell short of winning first place amid a late surge for the established parties. Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) held onto first place in the state of Saxony with 32 per cent according to initial projections, ahead of