Germany's AfD poised for first state election win, testing political firewall

The far-right AfD is projected to win a state election in Germany this weekend, which would mark its first state-level victory and challenge the established parties' cordon sanitaire. The result would force mainstream parties to decide whether to break their long-standing refusal to govern with the AfD, potentially reshaping national coalition dynamics ahead of federal elections. The outcome is uncertain until votes are counted, but the political impact is significant regardless of the exact margin.