BERLIN: Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has won a historic victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, according to exit polls and early projections.
The AfD secured about 44.5% of the vote, more than twice its 2021 result. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) fell sharply to 18.5%.
The result gives the AfD its strongest performance in any German state election. However, the party has not secured enough seats to govern alone.
AfD falls short of solo majority
AfD leader in Saxony-Anhalt Ulrich Siegmund called the result historic.
“We have made history in this state,” Siegmund said after the first projections.
The AfD is expected to hold the largest bloc in the state parliament. However, most mainstream parties have ruled out joining an AfD-led coalition.
As a result, the party would need an outright parliamentary majority to form a government on its own. Early projections suggested it could fall short of that threshold.
The final government formation could therefore take weeks of negotiations.
CDU suffers major defeat
The result represents a major setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his conservative CDU.
The party received 18.5% of the vote, compared with 37.1% in the previous state election in 2021. The CDU had governed Saxony-Anhalt since 2002.
Other parties also entered the state parliament. Die Linke received about 9.5%, while the Greens and Social Democrats each remained below 10%.
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) hovered around the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament. Its final result could affect the balance of seats and the coalition options available to other parties.
Record turnout boosts political impact
Voter participation reached around 76%, one of the highest levels seen in a Saxony-Anhalt state election.
The strong turnout adds weight to the result and highlights the growing political influence of the AfD in eastern Germany.
The party has built support around strict migration policies, stronger border controls and opposition to continued support for Ukraine.
AfD leaders have also called for a different approach to Germany’s relations with Russia and the United States.
AfD faces political isolation
Despite its election victory, the AfD still faces strong resistance from Germany’s mainstream parties.
The party’s Saxony-Anhalt branch has been classified as a right-wing extremist organization by Germany’s domestic intelligence service. The AfD rejects that classification and says accusations of extremism unfairly target its supporters.
Mainstream parties have maintained a political “firewall” against cooperation with the AfD.
That position now creates a difficult situation. The AfD has won the largest share of votes, but other parties may refuse to help it form a government.
Major warning for Merz government
The result also creates a new challenge for Merz’s federal government.
The CDU’s sharp decline shows growing dissatisfaction with the political establishment in one of Germany’s eastern states. The result could also strengthen the AfD ahead of future national elections.
For now, however, the key question remains whether the AfD can turn its historic electoral victory into control of the state government.
