Key facts
- Germany's far-right AfD party won 39 seats in the Saxony-Anhalt state election.
- The AfD needs to attract defectors or agree with the far-left BSW party to form a state government.
- The BSW party won five seats and is open to working with the AfD but not in a formal coalition.
- AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund aims to become state premier and is seeking a stable majority.
- All other parties in Saxony-Anhalt's parliament have refused to form alliances with the AfD.
Following a significant electoral victory in Sunday's state election in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is now navigating the complex political landscape to form a state government. The AfD secured 39 seats in the 83-seat state parliament, falling just short of an outright majority. This necessitates seeking alliances, with discussions reportedly underway with the small far-left BSW party and potentially individual members of other parties. Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD leader expected to become state premier, expressed a desire to form a stable majority "as soon as possible." However, mainstream parties, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU), have maintained a refusal to form coalitions with the AfD, adhering to a strategy to isolate the party. The BSW party, which won five seats, has indicated interest in cooperating with the AfD on certain issues like restricting immigration and restoring ties with Russia, but has stipulated a preference for an independent state premier, a condition rejected by Siegmund. If an agreement with the BSW proves elusive, the AfD may attempt to persuade members of the CDU to switch allegiances, though no defectors have been confirmed. Siegmund has also raised the possibility of calling a new election if no governing majority can be established.