Pakistan, Sept. 8 -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was facing pressure Monday after the far-right Alternative Germany (AfD) party swept to a landslide victory in a regional election, possibly paving the way for the first right-wing populist state government since the Nazi era.

AfD, classified by Germany's domestic intelligence as an extremist group in some regions of the country, fell just short of a majority in Sunday's election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. Because of Germany's Nazi past, far-right movements have always come under strong scrutiny, with the other major parties maintaining a firewall against any form of cooperation. Unlike most countries in Europe, modern Germany hasn't yet had a far-right or right-wing popul...