German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) narrowly won the Brandenburg state election, edging out the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) by 1.7 percentage points. This election, seen as a referendum on Scholz, was crucial as Brandenburg is the last regional state to vote before the federal election. Despite the SPD’s victory, Scholz’s popularity remains low due to internal conflicts and a cost-of-living crisis. Voter turnout was the highest since reunification at 72.9%. The AfD continues to gain ground in eastern Germany, following recent successes in Thuringia and Saxony.