AfD might get seats

While we are getting all excited (well the media is or, at least, some of it) about a possible UKIP MP from Clacton it looks like the far younger Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD) looks set to win a seat or two in the State of Saxony.

Exit polls after voting closed at 6 p.m. (1700 BST) showed Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), who have run Saxony since German unification in 1990, winning almost 40 percent, followed by the Left and Social Democrats in second and third place.

The Eurosceptic AfD, founded in early 2013 to oppose the euro zone bailouts, beat all forecasts with about 10 percent, according to exit polls.

I accept the argument that the German system is less inimical to small parties than the British one but I see no point in saying that UKIP (or whoever) has won seats in local councils. State government in Germany is considerably more important and powerful than local councils in this country. That may be a pity but it is a fact.

Results to be announced later this evening.

UPDATE 21.54 AfD apparently won around 9.6 per cent.