The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made historic gains in a pair of closely watched state elections on Sunday, with preliminary results giving them a clear victory in Thuringia, while they were behind only by a narrow margin in Saxony. The AfD’s win in Thuringia marked the first time since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II that a far-right party has won a statewide election in the country. In Saxony, the incumbent centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) secured a razor-thin lead over the AfD, according to preliminary results from the electoral office. The election results – an…