Germany: Far-right AfD dominates Saxony-Anhalt election

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has recorded a major victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt but failed to secure enough seats to form a government on its own.

The AfD secured 43.8 per cent of the votes, more than twice its performance in the 2021 election. It finished well ahead of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which polled 17.2 per cent.

Reacting to the result, AfD leader in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, described the outcome as “sensational” and said the party had received a mandate to govern.

However, the AfD will need support from other parties to form a government because it did not win the majority required to rule alone.

The AfD is currently expected to hold 39 of the 83 seats in the state parliament, three short of an outright majority. Mr Siegmund has said he does not want to lead a minority government and has suggested that new elections could be held if the party cannot form a government.

No far-right party has controlled a German state since World War Two. Taking power in Saxony-Anhalt would give the AfD control over important areas including policing, education and culture.

The party is classified as “right-wing extremist” by Germany’s domestic intelligence service in Saxony-Anhalt, a description rejected by Mr Siegmund.

The AfD’s strong result has left other parties facing difficult negotiations over how the state will be governed. Most parties have ruled out working with the AfD, with the left-wing populist BSW the main exception.

The BSW is projected to win five seats and shares some of the AfD’s positions on issues including migration and relations with Russia. One possible arrangement could involve the BSW informally supporting an AfD minority government.

The AfD has also suggested it could seek support from individual members of other parties. Beatrix von Storch, one of the party’s senior figures, said the AfD would hold talks with MPs who were unhappy with their own parties.

The election result has been described as a watershed moment in German politics. AfD supporters celebrated in Magdeburg, with crowds cheering and singing the national anthem after the projections were announced.

“We have made history in this state,” Mr Siegmund told supporters.

The CDU’s state leader, Sven Schulze, conceded the result and said his party would have to deal with the outcome. The centre-left Social Democratic Party described the result as “truly dramatic”.

The AfD’s rise has attracted attention beyond Germany. US President Donald Trump celebrated the projected result on his Truth Social platform, while a Russian presidential envoy praised the AfD’s performance. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, however, condemned the result.

The AfD currently leads national opinion polls, with its strongest support concentrated in Germany’s eastern states. It also won the 2024 state election in neighbouring Thuringia but did not gain enough seats to form a government.

The party’s controversial policies include its call for “remigration”, which critics say could involve mass deportations of migrants. The AfD says the policy mainly concerns criminals and people living in Germany illegally.

(BBC News)

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