German far-right AfD scores record win in Saxony-Anhalt regional election
The far-right Alternative for Germany party achieved its best-ever result in a regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, winning around 44% of the vote and edging closer to real governing power.
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party recorded its strongest performance since its founding in 2013 in the September 6 regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, capturing roughly 44% of the vote. That gives the party 39 seats in the state parliament — just three short of the 42-seat majority needed to take control of the regional government.
Local AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund declared on election night that the party had written itself into history and that Germany's "recovery" would begin in Saxony-Anhalt. To reach a majority, AfD is expected to explore an alliance with the left-populist BSW party, led by Sahra Wagenknecht, which could win four seats. An alternative path would involve persuading lawmakers from other parties to switch allegiance.
The result was a severe blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats, who had governed the state for 24 years but managed only 18% support — a sharp drop from 37.1% in 2021. The party's secretary general, Franziska Hoppermann, called the outcome a defeat. Siegmund said AfD's win sent a clear message to Merz, adding that every extra day he remains chancellor is one day too many.
Analysts largely attribute the outcome not to AfD's specific pledges — deporting migrants, closer ties with Moscow, and financial support for families with children — but to deep distrust of mainstream parties and media in eastern Germany. Saxony-Anhalt is among the poorest German states, and surveys show about 70% of residents fear being unable to cover rising bills, while 58% worry about maintaining their standard of living. That four in ten voters backed AfD despite security services flagging its regional branch as right-wing extremist underscores widespread political disillusionment in the region.
