When Elon Musk posted on X in December that the only thing that could “save Germany” was the AfD, he was embracing a political force that has moved steadily to the extreme right since it was founded in 2013.

In the smallest town in Germany, just one out of 228 eligible voters cast their ballot for Alternative for Germany even as the far-right, anti-immigrant party’s saw historic gains elsewhere in the country during Sunday’s national election.

The far-right group has learned to communicate in a country where traditional media no longer shape public opinion.