The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party is projected to achieve a significant victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections, according to exit polls. The AfD is expected to secure over 44% of the vote, significantly ahead of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is projected to receive 18.2%. While it remains uncertain if the AfD will gain enough seats to govern, party leaders assert they have received a mandate to lead.
Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD leader in Saxony-Anhalt, has indicated he will not form a coalition with other parties. This election marks a potential milestone, as no far-right party has controlled a German state since World War II, and such governance would grant authority over local policing, education, and cultural matters.
Saxony-Anhalt has a population of approximately 2.1 million, and the AfD has been classified as 'right-wing extremist' by domestic intelligence, a designation that Siegmund disputes. The projected results exceed earlier opinion polls, and Siegmund, along with national leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, expressed their excitement as the results were announced.
The final composition of the state parliament will depend on the performance of smaller parties, particularly the populist left-wing BSW, which must surpass a 5% threshold to gain representation. The AfD is currently projected to win 39 of the 83 seats in the state parliament.
Supporters celebrated the projections at the AfD election night headquarters, with some singing the national anthem. Siegmund stated, "We have made history in this state," while CDU leader Sven Schulze acknowledged his party's defeat, indicating that they would need to address the election outcome. The centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) described the results as 'truly dramatic,' with national leader Lars Klingbeil interpreting it as a signal to the federal government.
The AfD has been leading national opinion polls, surpassing both the ruling conservatives and the Social Democrats, with its strongest support in eastern Germany. In the previous state election in neighboring Thuringia, the AfD did not secure enough seats to govern despite winning the election.