As an openly gay politician who lives with her Sri Lanka-born partner in Switzerland, Alice Weidel was an unusual choice to many to lead Germany's far-right and anti-immigration AfD into Sunday's elections.

With international politics in flux, three leading historians give their views on the most consequential election in a generation for Europe’s most powerful country.

Concern is growing over the far-right Alternative for Germany party’s rise ahead of the German election. Its U.S. supporters include Elon Musk and JD Vance.

The centre-right Christian Democrats received the most votes at yesterday's election, while polls suggest Alternative for Germany (AfD) is poised to achieve the best result for a far-right party since WW2.

Elon Musk has continued his public association with Germany ’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, sending a congratulatory post on X to the party’s co-chair Alice Weidel following the election results last night in Germany. In the post, Musk quoted Hungarian president Viktor Orbán who sent his own message of support to the AfD.

The tweet from Elon Musk arrived a few days before Christmas, and it felt like a gift from heaven to Germany’s far-right political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD). It consisted of six words: “Only the AfD can save Germany.

Alice Weidel, has vowed to "chase" the country's other parties if her party goes into opposition. The CDU/CSU centre-right bloc is leading according to initial projects, and its leader Friedrich Merz has repeatedly ruled out a coalition with the AfD.