Tale of two Germanys, why East Germany voted for AfD

In Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is celebrating its best-ever result in federal elections. It has doubled its vote share since 2021, with more than 10 million people voting for them in this year’s election. Interestingly, the AfD received most of its votes from Germany’s eastern states. Almost all of the former East Germany has now turned AfD blue. So, why has East Germany voted for the AfD?