Germany facing tough battle against extremists, says chancellor

Germany is still facing a tough battle against extremists and populists, Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned on Thursday.

"It is not only in East Germany that we experience state elections in which sometimes up to a third of voters choose authoritarian and national-radical politics," said Scholz at a ceremony for German unity in the eastern city of Schwerin.

When it comes to populists fighting liberal democracy, this is disastrous and damaging to the entire country, the economy and its reputation in the world, he added.

The chancellor warned that "it will still take a lot of hard work to reverse this development."

The German government considers far-right extremism to be the biggest threat to democracy in the country.

"Right-wing extremism remains a continuing challenge as it is the greatest extremist threat to the basic democratic order," according to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.

Last month, Germany's far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) celebrated a "historic success" with a big victory in the eastern state of Thuringia.

The result gives the far-right its first win in a state parliament election since World War II, although it has almost no chance of forming a government in Thuringia because other parties are unlikely to work with it. Meanwhile, the AfD came a close second in the neighboring state of Saxony.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the election results "bitter" and urged other mainstream parties to form state governments without the far right.

"The AfD is damaging Germany. It is weakening the economy, dividing society and ruining our country's reputation," according to him.