The elections in three states of Germany would scarcely have triggered much excitement across the continent were it not for the resounding setback for Chancellor Angela Merkel and her open-door policy toward migrants. The elections have turned out to be a referendum on her geostrategy, one that allowed more than a million migrants to enter the country last year.

The electoral setback must be stunning, however much she may be trying to conclude a deal with Turkey to curb the influx. Unmistakable is the underlying message of Sunday’s vote — the refugee crisis has come to influence Germany’s internal politics, almost to the point of no-confidence in Merkel’s Christian Democrats and in favor of a populist, nationalist and anti-immigrant party called Alternative for Germany.

The fact that this far-right party was formed as recently as 2013 makes its achievement still more striking.

The real shock of Sunday night’s polling was the scale of AFG’s gains in the eastern state of Saxony Anhalt; the party had won a record 23 percent of the vote and has become the third most powerful party in the state, beating the opposition Social Democrats — who suffered their worst defeat since 1945 — to fourth place.

In the western states of Baden Wurttemberg and Rhineland Palatinate, the xenophobic and nationalist AFG was certain to enter both state parliaments for the first time. Effectively, the party now has a presence in eight of Germany’s 16 states and appears to be growing stronger by the month.

However limited the scope of the state elections, the political implications are profound. Not that the Chancellor’s position is under threat quite yet; but disenchantment within Merkel’s party is almost certain to intensify with renewed calls for a change in the country’s policy toward refugees.

She may yet draw comfort from the thought that her approach has been endorsed by the Social Democrats and the Greens, but the percentage of votes won by the nationalist segment does point to a critical mood swing.

Equally is the impressive performance of the far-right a cause for concern, and this precisely is the dichotomy of the outcome —as significant as it is disturbing. In the manner of France, its next-door neighbor and closest European ally, Germany will have to contend with an anti-immigration, right-wing nationalist party in the spectrum. Its presence has already contributed to the spread of racially motivated, anti-migrant violence.

A full general election in Germany is not due until fall next year; and at the moment the AFG seems well placed to enter the Bundestag parliament by the end of 2017. Indeed, it will be the first time since 1945 that a racist and nationalist party could step into the national legislature.

(The Statesman /Asia News Network)