German elections: rise of populism, referendum on Merkel

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party lost two of three states that had regional elections Sunday.

In what appears to be a referendum on her accommodative refugee policy, the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany won enough of the vote to enter all three parliaments for the first time.

RFI’s Sarah Elzas spoke with Barbara Kunz, a Germany expert at the French Institute for Foreign Relations, who puts these elections into context.