Abstract
The sharp East-West difference that emerges in the cartographic representation of regional election results changes significantly once regional-specific characteristics are controlled for. The higher preference for the right-wing party AfD becomes less sharply delineated between East and West after accounting for these factors. Instead, we find patterns where certain regions in southern Germany display an increased share of AfD supporters. Nonetheless, there remains a stronger preference for the AfD in the East compared to other parts of the country. The remaining difference can be interpreted as a divergence in culturally influenced values.