Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is celebrating a “historic success” after a significant victory in the eastern state of Thuringia. The AfD secured nearly a third of the vote, outpacing the conservative CDU by nine points and leaving the three governing parties far behind.

This marks the first time since World War II that the far right has won a state parliament election in Germany. However, the AfD is unlikely to form a government in Thuringia as other parties are expected to avoid working with it.

In the neighboring state of Saxony, the AfD also performed strongly, coming in a close second behind the CDU, which garnered 31.9% of the vote.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the results as “bitter” and urged mainstream parties to exclude the far right from state governments, stating that “The AfD is damaging Germany, weakening the economy, dividing society, and ruining our country’s reputation.”

Björn Höcke, the AfD’s top candidate in Thuringia and a controversial figure in Germany, celebrated the “historic victory” with great pride. Although he did not win a direct mandate for the state parliament, he secured a seat as the top candidate on his party list.