The anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) won in the eastern state of Thuringia and came in a close second in Saxony, narrowly trailing behind the conservative Christian Democrats.

To explore the ramifications of these regional results and their potential impact on the broader political landscape in Germany, TVP World invited Daniela Schwarzer, a political scientist and an executive board member of the German foundation Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Schwarzer described Monday’s results as “an enormous wake-up call for the moderate political parties” in Germany, emphasizing that “democracy is indeed at play and it is now a moment to fight the extremists politically.”

She pointed out that while regional governments have limited influence over German foreign or defense policy, any party that achieves electoral success can influence the broader political discourse in the country.

According to Schwarzer, there is still potential for moderate parties to regain ground by “adopting different policies and listening more closely to citizens’ fears and their concerns.”

“I think every single moderate party as of last night will look at their strategies, not only for the next regional election, but... for the federal elections, which are going to be held within a year’s time,” she added.

Another eastern German state, Brandenburg, will elect a new parliament on September 22.

Click on the video above to watch the full interview.