"The Alternative for Germany built its nationwide constituency through relentless opposition to immigration, nativist appeal, and efforts to relativize Germany’s Nazi past," write Sudha David Wilp and Jackson Janes.

The Alternative for Germany party has a strong lead in a regional election, but it is unclear whether it will be able to govern.

While short of an overall majority, the AfD won 44% of the vote and delivered a drubbing to Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives, reflecting the deep unpopularity of…