Tuesday briefing: What happens next after Germany’s far-right breakthrough?

The Alternative for Germany’s historic state election victory has left Germany and much of Europe struggling to absorb what happened. The far-right party swept the vote in the early hours of Monday, producing what The Guardian describes as a palpable sense of shock and disbelief.

The result has quickly become a wider European concern. France’s European affairs minister, Benjamin Haddad, called it “a very grave moment for Europe”, underscoring the significance attached to the breakthrough beyond Germany’s borders. The central question now is how governments and political parties can respond to the rising far right.

“

a very grave moment for Europe

The mood has found a stark echo in Britain. As the German results emerged, hundreds of black-clad activists seeking to block migrant arrivals confronted police for a second night along England’s south coast. In Portsmouth, officers used batons and synthetic pepper spray against hundreds of masked vigilantes, while the policing minister said officers had been injured while repelling organised “aggression”.

The newsletter also points to a forthcoming announcement by Ed Miliband, who is expected to set out what he has described as a broad response concerning Israel.

“

aggression