Elections & Democracy
AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt vote with at least 44%, polls say
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany won Saxony-Anhalt's regional election on Sunday with at least 44 percent of the vote, according to projections by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, but it remained unclear whether it could win an absolute majority to govern.
The AfD more than doubled its support and finished far ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right CDU, which the projections put at 18.5 percent. Voter turnout in the eastern state of 2.1 million people was at least 75 percent.
“We have made history today,” said Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD's 35-year-old lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, as counting continued.
CDU state premier Sven Schulze called the outcome “a severe blow”. Depending on the final count and the position of smaller parties, Schulze may still try to form a multi-party coalition to keep the AfD from power.
Major German parties have maintained a “firewall” of non-cooperation with the AfD. The AfD's Saxony-Anhalt branch is categorised as right-wing extremist by Germany's domestic intelligence agency.
AfD national co-leader Alice Weidel praised the result as “sensational” and said the party had received “a very clear mandate to govern here”.
The CDU's possible route to staying in office could involve the centre-left SPD, the Greens and support from the far-left Die Linke. Another uncertainty is whether the BSW party crosses the five-percent threshold to enter parliament and whether it would support the AfD.
Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews, said he was “personally appalled” by the election result. Opponents of the AfD rallied in Magdeburg on Saturday before the vote.
The AfD campaigned on anti-immigration policies, including a promised “remigration and deportation offensive”. Its agenda also includes replacing LGBTQ pride rainbow flags at public schools with the German flag and reducing emphasis on the Third Reich in history teaching.
The result adds pressure on Merz, who has promised to revive Germany's stagnant economy and restrict irregular immigration while his party has also trailed the AfD in national surveys.
Update
Record voter turnout was reported at at least 75 percent.
CDU state premier Sven Schulze called the result “a severe blow”.
AfD national co-leader Alice Weidel said the party had received “a very clear mandate to govern here”.
The CDU's possible route to staying in power could involve the SPD, Greens and support from Die Linke, depending on final results and smaller parties.
Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews, said he was personally appalled by the result.
The BSW party's possible return to parliament and stance could affect whether the AfD can govern.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 17:44:30 UTC.
Update
AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund said the party had made history.
Exit polls put Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU at around 18.5 percent.
It remained unclear whether the AfD would win an absolute majority that could allow it to govern alone.
CDU state premier Sven Schulze could seek a multi-party coalition to block the AfD from power, depending on the final count.
The AfD's Saxony-Anhalt branch is categorised as right-wing extremist by Germany's domestic intelligence agency.
The result increases pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose CDU has also trailed the AfD in national surveys.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 16:28:06 UTC.
Update
Exit polls by ARD and ZDF put the AfD at at least 44 percent in Saxony-Anhalt.
The CDU of Chancellor Friedrich Merz stood at 18.5 percent in the exit polls.
Public broadcasters said it was too early to say whether the AfD would win an absolute majority.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 16:12:29 UTC.
Update
AfD's top candidate said, “We have made history,” after the Germany state poll win.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 16:09:18 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The final vote count was still continuing.
It was not yet clear whether the AfD would win an absolute majority.
It was not yet clear whether BSW would cross the five-percent threshold to enter parliament or whether it would support the AfD.
Source
AFP news report published on .