The Alternative for Germany party achieves a resounding victory in Saxony-Anhalt, Sweden announces the Hemars missile deal, and the Paris prosecutor files a complaint against the French general regarding the killing of a Lebanese journalist.

The far-right winds blew in Europe again yesterday from Germany, where the Alternative for Germany party achieved a resounding victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections, putting it in a strong position to lead a local government for the first time since 1945. The anti-immigration party close to Russia obtained 44 percent of the votes, compared to less than 18 percent for the Christian Democratic Union.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed “deep shock” following his party’s defeat in Sunday’s vote, and said: “This is the harshest electoral defeat the (Christian Democratic Union) has suffered in years, or even decades. Of course, there must be consequences.”

Although US President Donald Trump did not immediately comment on the result, his supporters celebrated the event. Richard Grenell, the former US ambassador to Germany during Trump's first term, described the result as "a tremendous victory, and a new day in Germany."

The Swedish government announced on Monday that it intends to purchase American-made Himars missile launcher systems worth seven billion kroner. The equivalent of $730 million to arm its army.

The government indicated in a statement that the deal would allow “the Swedish Armed Forces to cover wider areas, and provide them with long-range capabilities compared to the systems currently available.”

Defense Minister Paul Johnson said in an interview with reporters that the agreement includes about 10 trucks equipped with launching platforms, as well as a large amount of ammunition, according to what the Swedish News Agency reported.

Sweden is scheduled to receive the first batch of “HIMARS” systems produced by the giant American defense industry company Lockheed Martin in 2027, according to the government.

The government said: “In light of the current security situation, there is a need for capabilities that can be obtained quickly to complement the available traditional artillery systems,” such as the Swedish-made “Archer” system.

The government also revealed a joint declaration with its neighbor Finland to enhance cooperation in the field of missile launcher systems, noting that Finland uses multiple rocket launcher systems (MLRS), which rely on the same components and munitions used in “HIMARS.”

Sweden continues the rearmament efforts it began since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Sweden and Finland joined NATO in 2024, after decades during which the two countries adopted the principle of non-alignment.

The Public Prosecution in Paris announced, on Monday, the filing of a complaint filed by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar against French General Philippe Sidus, accusing him of “glorifying a war crime,” in light of his statements regarding the killing of a journalist in Lebanon in April, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.

Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil (42 years old), who was working as a field correspondent for Al-Akhbar newspaper, was killed, and her colleague, freelance photographer Zainab Faraj, was injured on April 22, as a result of an Israeli raid that targeted a house in which they took shelter in the town of Al-Tiri in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces are still occupying several areas.

In late April, General Sidus, who previously headed the liaison office in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), said, “(Al-Akhbar) is a newspaper close to (Hezbollah). The Israelis are accustomed to saying that journalists who work with Hezbollah are spies working for Hezbollah. Therefore, here the targeting was deliberate.”

The officer continued: “From the moment the name of the newspaper is mentioned, it becomes a deliberate targeting. This is clear, frank and precise. Today I looked a little at Al-Akhbar newspaper. Yes, it is very biased towards Hezbollah.”

The Public Prosecution considered that “merely confirming that the journalist was deliberately targeted, and ruling out the possibility of an error on the part of the Israeli army, is not sufficient in itself to consider this a glorification of a war crime, in the absence of justification for the aforementioned shooting or its presentation in a positive manner.”

The newspaper’s defense agent, Vincent Brengar, said in a statement to Agence France-Presse: “We challenge the Public Prosecution’s analysis.”

He considered that filing the complaint “confirms the existence of blatant double standards.” On the one hand, there is the criminalization of pro-Palestinian voices, and on the other hand, there is a scandalous weakness in prosecuting those who justify or encourage crimes committed by Israel.

He continued: “Continued tolerance of this defect only leads to perpetuating the logic of impunity.”

In late April, the BFMTV Journalists Association announced its “complete disavowal” of these “shocking statements,” recalling that “targeting a journalist, as well as a civilian, is a war crime.”

She considered that “it is unacceptable for some experts to appear on air as if they are justifying exposing journalists to danger or even killing them.” “This also undermines the security of our journalists on the ground.”

In late April, the Lebanese authorities accused the Hebrew state of committing a “war crime” by obstructing the efforts of ambulance crews to rescue Khalil for hours, which prevented her from being pulled alive from under the rubble.

At the time, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stressed “the need to enable journalists to perform their basic duties without fear of interference, harassment, or worse.”

In early August, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Legal Agenda published the results of separate investigations into Khalil’s killing, which concluded that the attack involved a “war crime.”