Tim Seckel
Trump posts picture of extrapolation
US President Donald Trump discussed the state election in Saxony-Anhalt on his high-reach Truth Social account. An image of an extrapolation as of 7:57 p.m. (German time) was posted there. Trump left the bar graph showing the AfD's victory alone and did not comment further on it. The AfD has been seeking proximity and contact with Trump's party - the Republicans - for a long time.
Trump's Saxony-Anhalt post was one of many posts that appeared on his account within a short period of time on various topics such as criticism of the Democrats or strengthening his own electorate. It often happens that there are many posts on the account in quick succession.
Bastian Prockner
After AfD election victory: Siegmund confirms broadcasting plans
After the AfD's victory in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, top candidate Ulrich Siegmund confirmed his party's plans to terminate state broadcasting contracts. In an interview with ARD, he said that he “of course wanted to terminate this state media treaty”.
The termination of state broadcasting contracts is the top priority of the AfD's 100-day program. He did not say which contracts Siegmund specifically meant with his statement. The MDR state treaty, which regulates the joint broadcasting of Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia, would be of particular importance for Saxony-Anhalt.
Bastian Prockner
CDU continues to slide
New projections from Infratest dimap suggest that the CDU's result could be even worse than previously assumed. According to Infratest dimap, the CDU is currently only at 17.8 percent, the elections research group sees it at only 17.5 percent. Only in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have the Christian Democrats recently achieved an even worse result.
Bastian Prockner
BSW now also sees the elections research group in the state parliament
A new projection by the Elections Research Group has revised the BSW result upwards. The BSW there is also 5.0 percent. This makes moving in more likely.
Tim Seckel
CDU young people in Saxony-Anhalt are calling for Schulze's resignation
After the bitter losses in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, the CDU young people in the state are calling for the resignation and a new election of the entire state party leadership. “From the state chairman to the entire state board,” says a resolution by the state board of the Junge Union Saxony-Anhalt, which is available to the German Press Agency. “After a defeat of this magnitude, there can be no mere ‘business as usual’.” Other media also reported on it.
The voters made an unequivocal verdict. “The AfD has become the strongest force, the CDU is the loser of this election,” the resolution says. “The responsibility for this result lies with the entire party leadership.” A credible new start can therefore only succeed if the CDU Saxony-Anhalt completely reorganizes its leadership. “This is the basis for new trust and new credibility.”
Sven Schulze dpa
Bastian Prockner
Siegmund: “We are taking our country back”
Ulrich Siegmund speaks to his party at the AfD election party. The top candidate says: "We have made history. We are taking our country back. And it starts here in Saxony-Anhalt." The election is also a sign for all of Germany. In his speech, Siegmund predicted “45 percent + X” for the AfD. According to projections, the AfD currently stands at 44.2 percent. If the BSW gets into the state parliament, that would not be enough for an absolute majority.
Tim Seckel
BSW for “non-partisan Prime Minister”
BSW leader Amira Mohamed Ali has announced that her party will campaign for a non-partisan government when it enters the state parliament. “We said before the election that we would not elect Mr. Siegmund or Mr. Schulze as Prime Minister,” she said on ARD. A third option is being promoted, namely the possibility of a non-partisan prime minister with changing majorities involving the entire state parliament. “I believe that the probability of our model has increased significantly on this election evening,” she says of the new ARD projection, according to which the BSW will enter the state parliament, in which the AfD is unlikely to have an absolute majority.
Martin Knobbe
Still exciting at BSW
Cheers at the BSW election party after the ARD projection reported 5.1 percent. Party leader Amira Mohamed Ali is preparing for a broadcast with ARD. If the BSW stays above the five percent hurdle, it could become the kingmaker.
Amira Mohamed Ali from BSW in an ARD interview with Martin Knobbe
Bastian Prockner
New projection from Infratest dimap: probability of BSW moving in increases
As of 8:27 p.m., a new projection from Infratest dimap sees the BSW at 5.1 percent. The probability that this will be enough to get into the state parliament increases. The BSW could therefore play a decisive role.
On this election evening, the BSW announced that it would not elect Ulrich Siegmund from the AfD or Sven Schulze from the CDU as Prime Minister. If the BSW abstains, a simple majority in the third round of voting would be enough to be elected Prime Minister. If the Left supported Schulze to prevent the AfD, the vote would currently be 40 to 39 for Schulze. The further counting of votes will continue to be crucial for the formation of a government.
Tim Seckel
Siegmund: No political change is possible with the BSW
The AfD's leading candidate Ulrich Siegmund does not rule out collaboration with the BSW, but he does raise doubts. The state party in Thuringia has long supported the coalition of CDU Prime Minister Mario Voigt. This is not a sign of political change, says Siegmund on ARD. However, almost all elected BSW representatives in Erfurt have now resigned from the party - in protest against the suggested cooperation with the AfD.
Miryam Shkljar
Lydia Hüskens announces resignation from FDP state chairmanship
After the FDP failed to re-enter the Magdeburg state parliament, Saxony-Anhalt's FDP state chairwoman Lydia Hüskens has announced her resignation. “Tomorrow we simply have to talk about how we do it, whether we do it with immediate effect or use the state party conference in April to make the change,” she told the German Press Agency.
Bastian Prockner
Next projection from Infratest dimap: Picture unchanged – AfD without an absolute majority, BSW currently represented in the state parliament
This is the second projection from Infratest dimap for ARD at 6:56 p.m.:
AfD: 44.4% (+23.6)
CDU: 18.4% (-18.7)
Left: 9.3% (-1.7)
SPD: 8.4% (+/-0.0)
Greens: 8.7% (+2.8)
BSW: 5.0% (+5.0)
FDP: 2.1% (-4.3)
Other: 3.6% (-6.7)
Estimated turnout: 76%
Miryam Shkljar
Projection from the elections research group at 7 p.m
The elections research group on behalf of ZDF reports the following projection for the election results:
AfD: 44.3% (+23.5)
CDU: 18.3% (-18.8)
Left: 9.2% (-1.8)
SPD: 8.7% (+ 0.3)
Greens: 8.7% (+2.8)
BSW: 4.8% (+4.8)
FDP: 2.4% (-4.0)
Other: 3.6% (-6.8)
Estimated turnout: 78%
Miryam Shkljar
Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Salvini congratulates the AfD
Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini congratulated the AfD on its performance in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt. “Congratulations to my friend Alice Weidel and the entire AfD on their triumph in Saxony-Anhalt!” wrote the head of the right-wing populist ruling party Lega on X.
Julian Olk
Arrest in Magdeburg
A woman is arrested by several police officers on the edge of Cathedral Square. She shouted a right-wing extremist slogan and ran towards the rally until the police stopped her. Apparently alcohol was involved. Otherwise the situation is calm, the police emphasize.
Julian Olk
Hannah Müller
The hall at the CDU election party empties
According to the second projection, the event hall for the CDU election event in the Maritim Hotel Magdeburg has been largely emptied. There is great disappointment among party members. The CDU lost around half of the votes compared to the 2021 election.
Hannah Müller
Bastian Prockner
Chrupalla wants to block the government in the Federal Council
The AfD chairman Tino Chrupalla brings up a possible blockade stance by the AfD in the Federal Council on ARD. If there is an AfD government in Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony-Anhalt could vote against federal legislative proposals in the Bundesrat. However, Saxony-Anhalt only has four votes in the Federal Council. Since legislative proposals only require a majority of the votes of the Federal Council members (amendments to the Basic Law require a two-thirds majority), the members sent from Saxony-Anhalt could not block legislative proposals on their own.
Tim Seckel
Chrupalla to CDU: “We have to start talking”
The AfD's co-federal spokesman, Tino Chrupalla, criticizes the CDU's unwillingness to hold talks with his party. “We should first start talking again,” he said on ARD to CDU General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann. She had previously said that her party would not speak to the AfD.
Miryam Shkljar
Kubicki: Bitter day for the FDP and for me
The FDP chairman Wolfgang Kubicki has expressed disappointment over his party's departure from the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt. “This is a bitter day for the entire party and it is also a bitter day for me,” said Kubicki in Berlin. It is another election defeat this year. “But that will not stop us as Free Democrats on our way to making the Free Democrats an important political factor again.”
Bastian Prockner
Voters chose the SPD and the Greens primarily to prevent the AfD
The SPD has maintained its result from the 2021 election. The Greens are the only center-left party to record gains. The AfD in particular played an important role for voters. 78 percent of SPD voters and 68 percent of Green voters said in Infratest dimap that they had voted for the respective party primarily to prevent an AfD prime minister.
Miryam Shkljar
Siegmund wants to hold talks with other parties
Top candidate Ulrich Siegmund says that the AfD will not “bend in for any power options”. According to Siegmund, issues such as migration policy remained a clear party line. Discussions would therefore only be conceivable with parties with whom the AfD could enforce its demands. However, he currently sees no political force with which a coalition would be possible.
Julian Olk
Rainbow flag and criticism of the federal government
An alliance of several organizations, including the trade unions, has invited people to a rally against the AfD on Magdeburg Cathedral Square. In addition to criticism of the election winner, it says that the federal government's “cutting policy” also ensured the election result.
A large rainbow flag has been rolled out, the “Center for Political Beauty” is playing “Shit AfD” from their bus. A few dissenting voices come from the edge of the square. “Germany needs the AfD,” says one.
Julian Olk
Bastian Prockner
AfD is also clearly the strongest force among first-time voters
According to Infratest dimap, young people were also most likely to vote for the AfD. 41 percent gave the party their vote. The Left follows with 17 percent. Prime Minister Schulze and the CDU only received 5 percent of the votes from first-time voters.
Tim Seckel
Bas: “We were written off”
The SPD co-leader Bärbel Bas rates the SPD result as better than expected. “We had already been written off,” says Bas, referring to surveys from a few weeks ago that saw the SPD below the five percent hurdle.
Bas also emphasizes that she is sticking to the planned pension reform. However, details will be discussed in the coalition. The SPD always wanted to keep the “pension at 63”. The Pension Commission had proposed abolishing this. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) supports this.
