AfD clearly wins state election in Saxony-Anhalt ahead of CDU, but falls short of absolute majority

The AfD clearly won the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt ahead of the ruling CDU, but fell short of an absolute majority. As the state election authorities announced that night in Halle an der Saale, top candidate Ulrich Siegmund's party, which the state Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified as definitely right-wing extremist, received 43.8 percent of the vote, well ahead of Prime Minister Sven Schulze's Christian Democrats with 17.2 percent. Forming a government is likely to be difficult given the distribution of seats.

The SPD (9.3 percent), the Greens (8.9), the Left (8.6 percent) and the BSW with 5.3 percent also move into the new Magdeburg state parliament. The FDP was eliminated with 2.6 percent - it was recently represented in six of the 16 state parliaments nationwide. State leader Lydia Hüskens announced her resignation.

Voter turnout reached an all-time high of 77.8 percent. The previous record was 71.7 percent in 1998.

For the first time since the end of the Second World War, the AfD, a party that is classified as right-wing extremist, could come to power in a federal state - but it would need supporters to do so. It is unclear whether she will be able to convince individual members of other parliamentary groups to vote for Siegmund as Prime Minister. The other parties had ruled out a coalition with the AfD before the election.

Result doubled

Of the total 83 seats in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt, 39 go to the AfD and 15 to the CDU. The SPD, the Greens and the Left will each receive eight mandates. Five seats go to the BSW. The AfD missed the absolute majority, for which 42 mandates would be necessary. The other parties together won 44 seats. Almost all of the 41 direct mandates went to the AfD; the Left only won one constituency in Magdeburg and two more in Halle.

Compared to the state election on June 6, 2021, the AfD was able to more than double its second vote result by 23 percentage points. The CDU, on the other hand, fell significantly by 19.9 points. The SPD gained slightly by 0.9 points, while the Greens improved by three points and the Left lost 2.4 points. The BSW did not compete five years ago. The FDP slipped by 3.8 points.

Difficult formation of a government

Before the election, the AfD had set the goal of a sole government - but it missed that. The other government options are complicated.

The only alliance that would mathematically have a majority without the AfD would be a merger of all other parties. However, according to a federal party conference resolution, the CDU rejects a coalition or comparable forms of cooperation not only with the AfD, but also with the Left. In addition, the BSW federal leadership has ruled out the election of CDU top candidate Schulze as Prime Minister.

AfD does not rule out new elections

AfD top candidate Siegmund said of his party's performance: "Of course it is a government mandate." "Of course" he would govern with just one more vote, he said, contrary to his announcement during the election campaign that he only wanted to govern with a stable majority.

At the same time, the 35-year-old said that he currently sees no partners for a coalition. But he doesn't know what will happen in the next few days. "I don't know if there are individual MPs who say: 'It's over now, I'm not going to play this anymore'."

If the government cannot be formed, Siegmund believes a new election is also an option. "In an emergency there would be new elections, then we would have 50 or 55 percent," he said that evening.