Far-right AfD says it is now ‘major all-German party’ after state elections

Alternative fur Deutschland comes second in Hesse and third in Bavaria as spreads from east of country

The far-right, anti-immigration Alternative fur Deutschland has declared itself a major all-German party" after winning its biggest ever vote share in a western German state.

The AfD, once seen as a party most relevant to post-communist eastern states, won 18.4% of the vote on Sunday in the powerhouse state of Hesse, around Frankfurt, and came second only to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). In Bavaria it came third, behind the rightwing populist Freie Wahler (Free Voters) party.