Germany’s far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) has secured a dominant lead in a regional election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, according to exit polls released by German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF. Projections indicate the party is on course to win between 44.1% and 44.5% of the vote, more than doubling its 20.8% showing from the 2021 regional election.
Alternative for Germany Projected to Win Historic Victory in Saxony-Anhalt
The projected result places the party comfortably ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is projected to take 18.5% of the vote and has effectively halved its share of voters. The Left Party finished third with about 9% support, while the center-left Social Democrats and Greens each polled around 8% to 9%. Participation reached a record high of 76.5% in the east-central state, where about 1.7 million people were eligible to vote out of 2.1 million residents.
Stakes and the Question of an Absolute Majority
While the exit polls point to a record-breaking triumph, it remains unclear whether the AfD will secure the absolute majority it sought to govern on its own. Projected figures suggest the party could win 39 seats, leaving it three short of an absolute majority.
The Rise of Ulrich Siegmund and National Implications
The AfD’s campaign in the region was spearheaded by 35-year-old lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund, a former marketing professional whose platform combines a polished public image with hard-right policy proposals. Addressing jubilant supporters after the polls closed, Siegmund declared, We have written history
and noted that voters had sent a signal that things cannot carry on like this.
Siegmund also remarked that the unpopular Chancellor Friedrich Merz had been a very good campaigner for us.
AfD federal leader Alice Weidel stated that the result provided her party with a clear government mandate
and confirmed plans to talk with all parties to determine how the party could rule. A state-level administration would represent the biggest prize in the party’s 13-year history and provide momentum for its ambitions at the federal level, where the party is already polling first nationally. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has classified the AfD branch in Saxony-Anhalt as right-wing extremist.
Policy Goals and Regional Powers
Germany’s 16 states hold extensive powers over matters such as regional security and the administration of the educational system. Should the AfD form a government in Saxony-Anhalt, Siegmund has pledged to launch a remigration and deportation offensive, permit home schooling, ban rainbow flags in schools, and halt the construction of new wind farms.
The party has also expressed ambitions to pursue closer relations with Russia, alter regional public broadcasting, and cut support for Ukrainian refugees. However, foreign policy and international sanctions remain matters decided at the federal level rather than by regional state governments.
Keep reading