Top candidate of the far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany) party for regional electios in Thuringia Bjoern Hoecke casts his ballot for Thuringia's regional elections at a polling station in Bornhagen, eastern Germany, on September 1, 2024. Voters in two former East German states - Saxony and Thuringia - go to the polls. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)