Olaf Scholz fends off far-right AfD in Brandenburg election

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) have managed to fend off the far-right AfD in a key state election despite trailing behind the party throughout the campaign, according to exit polls.

The poll by Broadcaster ZDF projected the AfD would be pushed into second following Sunday’s Brandenburg elections, picking up 29 per cent of the vote compared to the SDP’s 32 per cent.

Despite likely coming second, the far-right party described the projected results as a “huge success” and thanked voters across the state in northeast Germany.

The SDP has governed Brandenburg since the reunification in 1990 and looks set to retain control following a last-minute comeback.

Electoral success for the SPD could give Scholz a slight reprieve from party discussions about his leadership of the party and their candidate for chancellor again at next year’s federal elections.

But incumbent SPD premier, Dietmar Woidke, was also viewed to have distanced himself from Scholz throughout the election campaign and has heavily criticised the federal government’s policies.

This is breaking news and is being updated.