The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won the state election in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, securing the largest share of the vote but falling short of an overall majority. Official results showed the AfD received 44 percent of the vote, while the Christian Democrats (CDU), the party of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, finished second with 17 percent.
The election outcome projects the AfD will hold 39 of the 83 seats in the state parliament, three seats shy of the 42 required to govern alone. The result represents a significant gain for the party compared to the previous state election, when it received 21 percent of the vote. The CDU’s share declined from 37 percent in the last election.
In a speech to supporters on election night, AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund said the party “made history” and called for cooperation from other political groups.
“As a democrat, I will reach out to all those who wish to work with us to bring about a fundamental political turnaround,” Siegmund stated.
Forming a government may present a challenge for the AfD. All other major parties in Germany have maintained a policy of not entering into coalitions with the party, a strategy known as the “firewall.” This position is, in part, a response to Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which has officially classified the AfD as a “far-right extremist” organization. The AfD has disputed this classification.
The party’s platform includes policies such as implementing new restrictions on immigration, re-establishing closer ties with Russia, ending military support for Ukraine, and withdrawing Germany from the euro currency. National polls have indicated growing support for the AfD over the past year.
Since its founding in 2013, the AfD and its members have been the subject of multiple investigations and public controversies. In May 2024, the party was expelled from the European Parliament’s Identity & Democracy group following comments from its lead candidate, Maximilian Krah, regarding the Nazi SS paramilitary organization. German prosecutors are also investigating Krah in connection with allegations of improper payments linked to Russia and China.
In a separate matter, senior AfD members attended a private meeting where plans for the mass deportation of individuals with migration backgrounds were reportedly discussed, prompting widespread public demonstrations across Germany earlier this year.
Following the election result in Saxony-Anhalt, some politicians from other parties commented on its implications. Cem Ozdemir, a prominent member of the Green Party, wrote on the social media platform X, “Politics begins with considering reality. That means the AfD is the election winner in Saxony-Anhalt. And that must mean for all democratic forces that nothing can remain as it is, and we must fundamentally reconsider our politics and our political style.”
