He’s not the only one. Sunday’s national parliament election — which brought the demise of a green-minded, three-year-old coalition and ushered in a new leader heavily focused on economic growth — has triggered speculation about a climate policy bonfire.

The next German government faces calls to loosen borrowing rules, slash energy costs and spur innovation. It won’t be easy.

Germany's far-right party the AfD finished second in the country's parliamentary elections and are hailing the outcome as a ‘historic result.'

The leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the second largest party in parliament after Sunday's election, said Germany's likely next chancellor would be held hostage by left-wing parties that would seek to loosen tough fiscal rules.

The success of the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is a sign of the times. Across Europe, far-right parties once on the fringe have gone mainstream.