René Aust has taken over leadership of the AfD delegation in the European Parliament, replacing Maximilian Krah.

Maximilian Krah was expelled due to scandals and controversial remarks.

The AfD aims to distance itself from the RN party and rejoin the ID faction, despite Krah's criticisms.

The AfD has faced backlash for ties to foreign parties, including allegations of payments from China and Russia.

The party is making a new attempt to rejoin the ID faction without Krah, amid internal and external challenges.

Voter turnout in Germany was at 64.8%, the highest since reunification, with 361 million voters across the EU participating.

Experts warn against underestimating the rise of the extreme right in Germany and stress uniting democratic forces and engaging with Eastern regions.

Calls for early elections have been rejected by the Chancellor.