Elections in three states in the former East Germany in September could shift the political landscape across the country, as populist forces led by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) lead the polls. The three parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s squabbling and unpopular national coalition, meanwhile, appear headed for further miserable results that could deepen fractures among ministers, with a year to go until the next nationwide parliamentary elections in September 2025. Thuringia and Saxony are both due to hold elections this coming Sunday, while voters in the state of Brandenburg g…