AfD Wins Historic Victory in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt State Election With 44.5%
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt with 44.5% of the vote. Friedrich Merz's CDU suffered a major defeat, collapsing to 18.5% in its long-time stronghold.
Historic Triumph for the Far-Right
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has achieved a historic landslide victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, according to exit polls. The result deals a devastating blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), though it remains unclear whether the far-right party will secure enough seats to form a state government.
According to exit polls published by the ARD broadcasting network, the AfD won 44.5% of the vote, a massive surge from the 20.8% it received in the 2021 elections. Conversely, Merz's CDU plummeted to 18.5%, down from 37.1% in 2021—a historic collapse in a state where the conservatives have governed continuously since 2002. Most mainstream parties have ruled out joining an AfD-led coalition, meaning the party will likely need an absolute parliamentary majority to take power.
Leadership Reactions and Coalition Speculation
The AfD's performance far exceeded all pre-election forecasts. Immediately after the exit polls were released, the party's 35-year-old state leader, Ulrich Siegmund, addressed supporters:
"We focused on our country and did what we said we would do—we made history. As a democrat, I extend my hand to all other democratic parties that want to form a coalition to reverse Germany's direction."
In contrast, the atmosphere at the CDU headquarters resembled a house of mourning. Party representatives quickly clarified that they would not cooperate with the AfD, seeking to dispel intense speculation that some conservative politicians might defect to the far-right camp.
Shifts in the Political Landscape
The election delivered several other surprises. The Greens, who had spent the past month hovering near the 5% electoral threshold, managed to secure 9% of the vote. Meanwhile, Sahra Wagenknecht's BSW party—which, like the AfD, holds pro-Russian stances—is currently teetering on the edge of the electoral threshold.
The prospect of an AfD-led government has caused genuine anxiety among opponents. Ralf Bollmann, a local retiree, expressed his concerns while speaking at a local cafe:
"Our vaccine against fascism lasted eighty years. It took us a bit longer than the rest of Europe, but you would expect that given our history, this would never return here."
Ulrich Siegmund, whom Der Spiegel once profiled on its cover as "the most dangerous man in Germany," successfully mobilized large crowds, including known neo-Nazis and antisemites, while dominating social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to secure his historic win.
