Who are the AfD?Protester holds an AfD placard in Heppenheim

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Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured a surprising 12.6 per cent of the vote, according to the provisional result of the German election 2017.

AfD co-lead candidate Alice Weidel said: "We really got the election results tonight. Now the voters have given us a mandate and we intend to use it with all due humility.

“Millions of voters have given us their trust for constructive opposition in the Bundestag and we will deliver.”

SPD leader Martin Schulz has vowed to go into the Bundestag as the opposition, meaning the AfD will not be the main opposition party.

But becoming the third largest party in the German Bundestag is still an astounding achievement for the AfD which was only formed in 2013.