A German county elected a far-right candidate for the first time since the Nazi era, raising concern

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Associated Press

SONNEBERG, Germany (AP) — The election of the first head of a county administration by the far-right Alternative of Germany in a rural eastern region recently has led to concern among opponents of the party. The recent win comes as national polls show support for the party at record levels. Even the fact that the party is under surveillance by the domestic state intelligence agency for its close ties to far-right extremists didn’t stop a majority in Sonneberg county from voting for them. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has tried to downplay the result by pointing to far-right populist successes in other countries. But others say it’s different in Germany where Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party was responsible for the Holocaust and World War II.