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Also watching the Saxony-Anhalt election closely was the European Union.
The next 12 months is bumper election season across the EU. Ballots are expected in key nations France, Italy, Spain and Poland. Brussels fears more "extreme" parties, left but particularly right of the political spectrum, may benefit across the board.
The leader of Spain's nationalist Vox party, Santiago Abascal, posted on X on Sunday that the AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt was " a great hope for Germany and for Europe".
By contrast, France's Europe Minister, Benjamin Haddad, an ally of centrist President Emmanuel Macron, warned "this is a serious moment in Europe, seeing the far-right win in a regional election in Germany".
Neither the AfD, nor other European parties labelled "extreme right" or "hard right", accept the label. They also differ from one another in tone and party programme. France's National Rally under Marine Le Pen kicked the AfD out of its grouping in the European Parliament two years ago, for being too "radical". What the parties do tend to share, however, is an anti-immigration platform and strong nationalist messaging. And that really worries the EU.
Whether it is a rallying cry for "Germany First" or "Italy First" or "France for the French!", the concern in Brussels is that the rise of nationalist parties strains European cohesion at a time when outside events demand it more than ever.
Nationalist parties like the AfD or Italy's League Party tend to be deeply Eurosceptic, but Brussels says Europe needs to stand united to counter Donald Trump's bullying, for example, or to effectively protect European business against China's goods dumping.
Europe's defence establishment also warns that fractures in European sanctions against Russia or countries going tepid on Nato membership (as you see in Marine Le Pen's National Rally for example, or Germany's AfD) just emboldens Moscow.
Security chiefs say nations must stick together to stop Russia in Ukraine, otherwise the Kremlin will be tempted to attack inside Nato, such as the Baltic states.
The thing is, Europe's voters are very aware of these outside threats and the impact they have at home. They worry about the impact of wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, about crumbling health services at home and dwindling economic security for themselves and their families. Uncontrolled immigration and safety on the streets are huge concerns, too.
And this is where the significance of the Saxony-Anhalt vote shines bright - a flashing red warning to traditional political parties, but also to institutions across Europe like the judiciary and security services. Those the AfD dismisses as the self-interested "Establishment".
Voters on this continent feel lost and let down by parties they have supported over and again for decades. Looking right or left now at election time does not mean they have all suddenly become extremist.
The AfD campaign slogan in Saxony-Anhalt was an upbeat "Anything is Possible!" - plus a promise to make Germans feel proud of their country again. Till now untried and untested in government, people seem increasingly willing to give them a go.
