The populist train sweeping through the West finally pulled into Germany — running, as ever, behind schedule. Until now, the country had resisted Europe’s rightward shift. Sunday’s election put an end to that: the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), often described as “far-right,” surged to become the Bundestag’s second-largest party after doubling its 2019 vote share. Still shunned by Germany’s political class, the AfD made the biggest gains, cementing itself as an electoral force the establishment can no longer ignore.