Strong gains by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in European Parliament elections should provide momentum heading into German state elections in the autumn, the AfD’s co-leader told dpa on Sunday. Exit polls released earlier on Sunday put the AfD in second place with 16.1% to 16.4% of the vote. The AfD did particularly strongly in states that were part of the former communist East Germany. Three states in the former East Germany – Saxony, Brandenburg and Thuringia – are set to hold state parliamentary elections in September. The AfD has drawn its deepest support in that region. “I h…