Scholz's SPD party narrowly survive regional election as coalition partners struggle

As the dust begins to settle in the former East German state of Brandenburg, a few things are becoming clear.

Firstly, voter turnout at 73% was the highest in this state since German reunification 30 years ago.

Secondly, both the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Green party are facing uncertainty about the future of their role in the country's governing coalition — with both failing to convince voters above the 5% threshold needed to gain a seat in the state's Parliament.

Finally, although these results were a victory for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's struggling Social Democrats (SPD), the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has won a second blocking minority alongside the East German state of Thuringia earlier this month.

Its gains, which are so far unprecedented for the party, mean it now has the power to elect constitutional judges in these states.

Political scientist at the University of Potsdam, Dr Jan Philipp Thomeczek, told Euronews that Scholz can now "breathe a sigh of relief" after the SPD emerged as the the strongest party in Brandenburg's elections, unlike in Thuringia and Saxony earlier this month.

SPD's Minister President for Brandenburg Dietmar Woidke, who has been leading the state for 13 years, threatened to resign if the AfD beat his party — upping the stakes in the election for the northeastern state that borders the German capital of Berlin.

"The SPD has shown that it can still win elections," Dr Thomeczek says, adding that despite the close results between SPD and AfD, he doesn't believe there would be a new federal election before the planned vote in Autumn next year.

"It doesn’t make sense. If they started that, the federal elections might just be held four months earlier," he