Like many of the “new right” parties in Europe, the AfD began as an anti-immigration party. Its support began to rise in direct response to Angela Merkel’s decision in 2015 to admit over 1 million Syrian refugees.

BERLIN (AP) — Alternative for Germany appears to be heading for its strongest national election result yet this month and is fielding its first candidate to lead the country. Even though it's highly unlikely to take a share of power soon, it has become a factor that other politicians can't ignore and helped shape Germany's debate on migration.

Alternative for Germany appears to be heading for its strongest national election result yet this month and is fielding its first candidate to lead the country. The far-right party first entered Germany's national parliament eight years ago on the back of discontent with the arrival of large numbers of migrants in the mid-2010s,