Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was projected to secure a major victory in Sunday’s regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, potentially reshaping the political landscape of the eastern state. Exit polls and partial results placed the party at just over 44% of the vote, more than twice its previous result, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) stood near 18%.
Despite its lead, AfD appeared slightly short of the absolute legislative majority needed to govern alone. Mainstream parties have maintained a “firewall” against cooperation with AfD, making the final seat distribution decisive. Party candidate Ulrich Siegmund said the outcome showed that voters wanted political change and described it as a message to the federal government in Berlin. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel called the projections a mandate to govern.
The result represents a severe setback for the CDU, which has governed Saxony-Anhalt for 24 years. Incumbent governor Sven Schulze acknowledged AfD’s position as the strongest party, but CDU officials reiterated that they would not cooperate with it. If AfD fails to win a majority, forming an alternative administration could require complicated arrangements involving smaller parties and possible support from the Left Party.
AfD is the largest opposition party in Germany’s national parliament and draws its strongest support in the country’s east. Its Saxony-Anhalt branch is classified by domestic intelligence as a proven right-wing extremist organization, a designation the party rejects as politically motivated.
Siegmund has proposed stricter deportation policies, changes to public broadcasting and expanded home-schooling rights. The regional party also opposes financial support for Ukraine and favors lifting sanctions on Russia, although foreign policy lies outside state authority. Saxony-Anhalt holds four of 69 votes in Germany’s upper house, limiting its national legislative influence, but the result could carry wider symbolic significance for German politics and future state elections across Germany.