Two weeks after the worrying performance of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, last Sunday’s elections in the German capital of Berlin have allowed the country’s left to breathe a reluctant sigh of relief.

Die Linke enjoyed significant gains in the western part of the city and it remained the strongest party in the east, albeit with some losses. The party’s gains are encouraging, particularly for demonstrating that the Left can be successful with a consistently antiracist and pro-refugee message.

There is no doubt, however, that Sunday’s real winner was once again the AfD. The right-populist party secured a plurality of votes in many eastern neighborhoods Die Linke once took for granted, despite fielding multiple candidates openly associated with the far right.