Key facts
- The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt.
- The CDU suffered its worst-ever result in the state, securing 17.2% of the vote.
- The AfD's victory is being called a 'turning point for our country' by CDU leadership.
- Mainstream parties are struggling to form a government that excludes the AfD.
- The AfD has claimed a mandate to govern and is preparing for various scenarios.
The German political landscape is reeling after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieved a historic victory in the state elections of Saxony-Anhalt, securing 43.8 percent of the vote. This result more than doubled the party's previous performance and represents a significant blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which garnered only 17.2 percent, its worst showing in the eastern state.
CDU leadership, including Bundestag group leader Thorsten Frei, described the outcome as a "turning point for our country" and acknowledged the need to understand why voters are turning away from traditional parties. Despite the setback, CDU Secretary-General Franziska Hoppermann rejected any discussion about Merz's leadership and reiterated the party's refusal to cooperate with either the AfD or The Left. Saxony-Anhalt's incumbent premier, Sven Schulze (CDU), offered a more measured response, stating, "That's democracy," and emphasizing that the people had exercised their vote.
The election results intensify pressure on Merz, who had previously vowed to diminish the AfD's influence. Social Democratic Party co-leaders Lars Klingbeil and Bärbel Bas interpreted the vote as a "signal to Berlin," urging the federal government to reassess its policies. Green co-chair Felix Banaszak called the surge "dramatic," while The Left's Heidi Reichinnek labeled it "catastrophic," attributing it to federal government policies creating fertile ground for the far right.
Sahra Wagenknecht, founder of the populist BSW party, criticized the "firewall policy" of excluding the AfD, deeming it a failure and warning that a coalition formed solely to block the AfD would disrespect voters. Meanwhile, AfD co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla celebrated the "historic result," with Chrupalla declaring Ulrich Siegmund as their candidate for minister-president and noting that the AfD had effectively "cut the CDU in half."
Despite its strong showing, the AfD secured only 39 of the 83 seats in the Saxony-Anhalt parliament, leaving it short of a majority. This situation forces rival parties into a difficult scramble to form a governing coalition capable of excluding the AfD. Chrupalla indicated the AfD would extend invitations for talks to all other parties and stated the party was "prepared for all scenarios," including the possibility of pushing for fresh elections if no workable majority emerges.