Key facts
- The far-right populist AfD party secured a 44% landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt's state elections.
- Residents in Magdeburg expressed varied reactions, including heartbreak and fear over the election results.
- The AfD's platform includes challenging Germany's post-war memory culture and deporting irregular migrants.
- The party's leader, Ulrich Siegmund, is attempting to build a coalition government.
- The election's ramifications are expected to be felt across Europe.
Magdeburg, Germany – Residents in the German city of Magdeburg expressed a range of emotions, from heartbreak to apprehension, following the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party's landslide 44% victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections. The results have sent shockwaves across Germany and beyond, prompting concerns about the party's radical agenda.
The AfD, classified by domestic intelligence as "rightwing extremist," has pledged to challenge Germany's post-war memory culture and prioritize the deportation of "irregular migrants" within its first 100 days in office. This platform has deeply troubled many, including Judith, an 88-year-old refugee who found the results "heartbreaking," and Franz-Josef, a retired mechanic who called the election a "catastrophe."
Huy, a newsagent owner, voiced a common sentiment of uncertainty, questioning the potential implications of the AfD's win while hoping "maybe it will all be OK?" Luisa, a bank teller, feared the "high price" of the AfD's potential policies, even if they are intended as a protest against the current government's economic performance.
The AfD's path to power remains complex, as its leader Ulrich Siegmund lacks an absolute majority. Rumors of potential defections from the Christian Democrats (CDU) to bolster the AfD's numbers have surfaced, despite denials from the CDU. The party is actively campaigning to dismantle the "Brandmauer," or firewall, that mainstream parties have maintained against cooperating with the AfD.
Maryam, a Syrian teenager whose family arrived in Germany in 2015, expressed anxiety about what the vote means for her family, wishing for a return to the policies of Angela Merkel, who welcomed a million migrants. In contrast, Doreen, a cleaner who voted for the AfD, criticized Merkel's policies and cited a 2024 attack in the city center as symbolic of the "misery" brought by opening borders, supporting the AfD's promise to "clean up the mess."
The election outcome in Saxony-Anhalt, a state with 2.1 million people, is anticipated to have significant ramifications across Europe. The political landscape is further complicated by upcoming elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin, where the AfD is also expected to perform strongly, creating a delicate situation for federal politicians like CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who has accused the AfD of seeking "ethnic cleansing."
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