WHILE millions this week stared at Iowa and Washington with worried amazement, confusion or anger, Germany, too, had its own messy confusion — which turned into a frightening alarm signal.

For the very first time, a state government — in Thuringia — was able to achieve rule with the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), a party whose leaders are in a continuous flirt with nazi phrases, nazi goals and nazi methods.

Every other party has sworn up and down never to have anything to do with AfD. Although there were suspiciously contrary murmurs in some circles of the Christian Democrats (CDU, Merkel’s party), this pledge had been kept. Until Wednesday February 5 2020.