Germany: AfD Wins Saxony-Anhalt, Falls Short of Majority
The party won 43.8% of the vote and 39 seats, but still needs support from rivals or defectors to govern.
- On Sunday, the Alternative for Germany surged into first place in Saxony-Anhalt state elections with 44% of the vote, placing a far-right party on the cusp of state power for the first time since World War II.
- This result handed a drubbing to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union , ending the party's 24-year leadership in Saxony-Anhalt as voters expressed deep unpopularity with the ruling coalition's direction.
- The AfD secured 43.8% of the vote, representing 39 seats in the 83-member state parliament, with 35-year-old lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund declaring, "We have made history in this country."
- Alice Weidel, AfD co-chair, told CNN she expects Merz to be out by Christmas, while the Chancellor prepares for cabinet crisis talks today amid official results expected tonight.
- Voter turnout reached 77% in the election, reflecting a fracturing political landscape as the rise of hardline parties positions the AfD as a major force ahead of federal elections in 2029.
510 Articles
510 Articles
The Predictable Earthquake: What Saxony Anhalt Tells Us About Europe
On Sunday 6 September 2026, voters in the eastern German state of Saxony Anhalt did something no electorate in the country had ever done. They handed the largest share of their vote, 43.8 per cent, to a party of the extreme right. The Alternative für Deutschland, universally known by its own initials as the AfD, […]
How the AfD's rise could reshape German politics
In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer breaks down the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's historic win in the Saxony-Anhalt state election and what it could mean for the country's political future.The far-right party, considered extremist in many German states, came in first with 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, more than doubling its 2021 result. It is the first time since World War II that a far-right party has won a German state election outri…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 41% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
