Czech politicians welcome German election results but see third-place AfD finish as warning

Czech politicians on Sunday welcomed the election results in neighbouring Germany, the fourth time the CDU-CSU have won led by Angela Merkel.

Many, however, saw the third-place finish of the nationalist far rIght AfD (Alternative for Germany) as a warning sign. The head of Czech party ANO, Andrej Babiš, suggested that AfD were the 'real' election winners.

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka called the result a clear victory for Merkel and expressed the conviction she would soon form a stable government, which he called important for both Europe and for Czech-German relations. He added that those who cheered on the AfD today did not see beyond the tip of their nose and that migrants and the EU being targeted 'today' would be joined by Czechs and Poles 'tomorrow'.

The BBC reported that dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the anti-Islam and anti-migrant party's headquarters in Berlin, following the result.