In today’s newsletter: The AfD’s local election triumph has shocked Europe, and raised questions about how to counter the rising far right Good morning. Across Germany – and Europe more widely – there has been a palpable sense of shock and disbelief after the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) swept to a historic state election victory in the early hours of Monday. It was, according to France’s European affairs minister, Benjamin Haddad, “a very grave moment for Europe”. The resonance was stark in the UK too: as the results came in, hundreds of black-clad activists intent on blocking migrant arrivals were battling with police for a second night along England’s south coast. UK news | Batons and synthetic pepper spray were used to repel hundreds of masked, black-clad vigilantes in P