
Voters in the eastern German state of Thuringia will go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament.
The vote - which comes just weeks after a shooting at a synagogue - is being seen as an indicator of the future of German politics.
The socialist Left party face a tight race with Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
But, the AfD face accusations of fueling violence against political opponents and minorities.
Al Jazeera's Dominic Kane reports from Erfurt.