Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats held off the far-right Alternative for Germany and look set to cling on to power in the eastern state of Brandenburg, sparing the chancellor and his party another embarrassing electoral setback.

Brandenburg is a longstanding stronghold for the party. But it is located in Germany’s relatively impoverished east, where the anti-immigrant A f D performs far better than in the west. That made this election a test of whether the SPD could beat the populists on its home ground.

The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) appear headed for a narrow election victory over the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, according to initial projected results.

An exit poll shows Germany’s Social Democrats with a slight edge over a far-right party in a state election in Brandenburg

A state election is taking place in Brandenburg three weeks after a far-right party made gains in two other states in eastern Germany

The narrow win by Olaf Scholz’s party came in a state election, the third in a series that was seen as a reflection of the national mood and a snapshot of the government’s popularity.

Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats appear to have held off a strong challenge from the far-right Alternative for Germany to retain power in the eastern region of Brandenburg, sparing the chancellor and his party another embarrassing electoral setback.