Online campaigns spread misinformation far and wide, and many of them prop up the far-right Alternative for Germany. Experts suspect that Russia is behind this.
Some German lawmakers and anti-Kremlin activists suspect Russia of inflaming sensitive regional divisions, smearing mainstream political parties and spreading disinformation to help the far right ahead of hotly contested regional elections in Germany.
In the former communist eastern states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is topping the polls ahead of votes scheduled for September 6th and 20th.
The anti-immigrant, pro-Russian party is aiming to take control of a regional government -- which would be a first in Germany for the far right since 1945 -- and deal a blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's unpopular ruling coalition.
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