Live blog about the election in Saxony-Anhalt:
Klingbeil questions the federal government's reform course
Sep 6, 2026, 7:08 p.m. Reading time: 1 min.
Lars Klingbeil on Friday in Berlin.dpa
SPD chairman: Numbers are “also a signal to Berlin” +++ Prime Minister Schulze congratulates the AfD +++ Very high voter turnout +++ all developments in the live blog
Entry of the BSW into the state parliament is also open according to recent projections
Even according to the latest projections from ARD and ZDF, it is unclear exactly how the new state parliament in Saxony-Anhalt will be composed. The AfD is clearly ahead. It is still not clear whether there is enough for a majority in the state parliament - the current figures do not indicate this. Top candidate Ulrich Siegmund's party is at 44.3 to 44.4 percent. It can more than double its result (2021: 20.8 percent).
In second place is Prime Minister Sven Schulze's CDU, which has suffered significant losses and, according to the latest projections, ends up at 18.3 to 18.4 percent (37.1 percent). According to the projections, the Left comes to 9.2 to 9.3 percent (11.0 percent). The Greens are at 8.7 percent (5.9 percent), the SPD is at 8.4 to 8.7 percent (8.4 percent).
The BSW has to worry about getting into the Magdeburg state parliament with 4.8 to 5.0 percent. According to the projections, the FDP fails to meet the five percent hurdle (6.4 percent) by 2.2 to 2.4 percent. There are no major shifts compared to the first forecasts at 6 p.m.
BSW co-chair Amira Mohamed Ali after the first projections of the state elections. dpa
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Klingbeil questions the federal government's reform course
The SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil sees the federal government's policies as a reason for the election result. The numbers are “also a signal to Berlin,” says Klingbeil on ZDF. Many people are dissatisfied with the reform course. The result is a reason to think about the federal government's policy. “And rest assured, we will do the same.” He does not provide any details about possible course corrections.
Klingbeil sees the election result as a “breaking point”. There are now “an incredible number” of people in Saxony-Anhalt, but also throughout Germany, who are afraid and worried about the result for the AfD, says the SPD federal chairman. Both he personally and the SPD would “do everything to ensure that they can continue to live safely in Germany and that our country remains a cosmopolitan country.” This is very important.
With a view to forming a government in Saxony-Anhalt, Klingbeil says: "We are not sitting down at the table with the AfD. We want to form a majority with the democratic forces. Then the Union is also required to say how things can proceed with the possible formation of a government."
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SPD top candidate speaks of a “respectable result”
The SPD in Saxony-Anhalt is combative. Top candidate Armin Willingmann speaks on ZDF of a “respectable result” – at least “tempered by the death knell that was rung in between” and the concern that the SPD might miss out on entering the state parliament. His party is “pretty stable”. According to projections by ARD and ZDF, the Social Democrats are at 8.2 to 8.8 percent. This is quite different from what was forecast three months ago, says Willingmann.
With a view to the AfD's strong performance, he explained: With populist theses and with a policy that promises everything to everyone and "cannot pay for any of it", it is easier to reach people than for a party that has had responsibility in government for a long time. “When you have to make it clear again and again that there are multiple crises that we cannot solve from Saxony-Anhalt.”
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Does the AfD even want to govern?
After the AfD's clear election victory, the question arises as to whether the party led by top candidate Ulrich Siegmund even wants to govern - and whether the state association and the federal leadership agree on this issue. The election winner has already ruled out one scenario: a minority government. That's what he says in an interview with ZDF.
Two more scenarios remain for forming a government. One thing is that the AfD will have enough of an absolute majority in the state parliament at the end of the election evening. Siegmund has not yet commented on this possibility in television interviews after the election. The other scenario would be that it is not enough - and a parliamentary group or individual members of other parliamentary groups are willing to take part in an AfD-led government. Here too, Siegmund appeared to be more defensive, right from the start of the evening. “As a democrat, I will always extend my hand to all those who would like to bring about a fundamental political turnaround in this country with us,” he said on ARD. Shortly afterwards, however, he added: “I don’t see these forces at the moment.” The AfD will not give up its basic positions for “any power options”.
Federal chairwoman Alice Weidel made it clear shortly afterwards that she certainly sees political forces that could support an AfD-led government in the state parliament. She spoke of a “very clear government mandate” for her party. Weidel said they were looking for “people who would like to work with us.” She mentioned “the CDU, parts of the CDU” as an option. The BSW, which is still worried about entering the state parliament, called it “very interesting”.
Other leading AfD politicians also expressed similar views to Weidel. Co-party leader Tino Chrupalla even said that he could imagine a minority government under the leadership of Ulrich Siegmund - the scenario that Siegmund himself has already ruled out. The Thuringian state leader Björn Höcke also spoke out in favor of the AfD taking over government responsibility in Saxony-Anhalt. They are all pushing for an AfD-led government more clearly than the top candidate himself is.
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Siegmund rejects AfD-led minority government
AfD top candidate reiterates his no to an AfD government without an absolute majority. "We don't want to bend over backwards for any power options. There won't be any constellations with a minority government or anything like that," says Siegmund on ZDF. Even before the election, Siegmund had said several times that he would only govern if his party received an absolute majority in parliament. He justified this stance by saying that he had to implement what he had announced. He cannot currently do that with any other party.
If the AfD misses an absolute majority in parliament, Saxony-Anhalt will face a complicated process of forming a government. A coalition of the CDU, SPD and Greens would also not have a majority and would be dependent on support from the left. CDU General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann has just ruled out collaboration with the Left once again. The incompatibility decision will no longer be discussed, she said in an interview with the TV station Phoenix.
Ulrich Siegmund, top candidate and co-chair of the AfD parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt, gives an interview after the forecast for the results of the state elections. dpa
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Luca Neuschaefer-Rube
Good atmosphere at the Green Party election party
The mood at the Green Party's election party is good. Words like “euphoric” and “incredible” are used when members talk about their party’s projections. On the other hand, many Greens are also concerned about the results of the AfD and the possibility of a sole government. “It’s a laughing and a crying eye,” says Uwe Roscher, a member from the Harz district. It's going to be a long evening. Some members are particularly hopeful about the counting of postal votes. Because they expect a lower proportion of AfD votes.
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Bas believes discussion about SPD leadership is possible
SPD leader Bärbel Bas believes a discussion about the future of the party leadership is possible after the election. “This isn’t about me at all,” says Bas on ARD. However, she cannot rule out such a discussion. When asked whether there would be a special party conference, she replied: "I think if you see the result now in Saxony-Anhalt, we have a much bigger problem. The result scares many people."
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Six out of ten workers voted for the AfD
Based on post-election surveys, the Infratest dimap institute evaluated how the population voted depending on their activity. This shows that the AfD is far ahead in all groups. It is most popular among workers: 61 percent of this group voted for the AfD.
The former workers' party SPD came in fifth place in this group together with the Greens. The gap between the AfD and the CDU is narrowest among pensioners: here the AfD is in first place with 38 percent, while the CDU does significantly better with 27 percent than in the other groups.
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Amthor wants to continue to oppose AfD politics
Philipp Amthor (CDU), Minister of State for Federal-State Relations in the Federal Chancellery, does not want to question the way we have dealt with the AfD so far: “It is all the more clear to us, even to me personally: This strength of the AfD does not mean that we have to relativize our relationship with the AfD.” Rather, the CDU must “counter this policy,” says Amthor on ARD. The CDU is not available for stable majorities with the AfD. "It is a democratic election result. A bitter result, also for us."
Amthor rejects the question of whether Chancellor Friedrich Merz is responsible and accuses AfD top candidate Ulrich Siegmund of having disdained not only the Chancellor, but also the institutions in Germany. The CDU cannot work with such a party. “We don’t have a national crisis, but rather we have a basic law that can deal well with such complicated election results.”
Philipp Amthor (CDU) speaks to media representatives in the Konrad Adenauer House in Berlin. . dpa
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Luca Neuschaefer-Rube
How is the state election counted?
The counting of votes began immediately after the end of the voting period at 6 p.m. and is being carried out by the members of the election committee. The counting takes place in public; everyone is allowed to be present and observe the process, but only as long as they do not disturb the peace and the process or interfere. Counting is not permitted.
First, the electoral board determines the number of eligible voters; for this purpose, entries in the voters' register and other electoral documents are consulted. The number of voters is then determined. To do this, the ballot papers are taken from the ballot box and counted and their number is then compared with the voting notes and the ballot papers received.
The ballot papers are then sorted into different piles to make counting easier - depending on the number of votes cast and whether both checks were made for a party and its direct candidate. Invalid ballot papers or those whose validity is not immediately clear are separated out here and checked again by the electoral board. The electoral board finally decides on the validity and announces the result orally. Finally, the votes counted are added together and recorded in an election record. The totals are checked by two members of the election committee.
Following the counting, the electoral board announces the election results orally in the electoral district and reports them to the district returning officer. This also includes the results of postal votes, which are counted separately by a separate postal voting board following a similar process. The district returning officer checks the reported election results and finally passes on the provisional election results of the constituency to the state returning officer. The preliminary election results for the state elections will be announced during election night or early Monday morning.
Postal voting documents will be prepared for counting in Magdeburg on Sunday. . Reuters
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Schulze congratulates the AfD: “It is now the strongest force”
Prime Minister and CDU top candidate Sven Schulze speaks to his supporters in Magdeburg. “We would have liked a better result in every respect,” he says. The first forecast “says a lot”. Then Schulze turns to the AfD: "And first of all - we live in a democracy - I would like to congratulate the election winner. The election winner, the AfD, is now the strongest force in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt." Schulze speaks in a thick voice.
"Some say this would be a black day for Saxony-Anhalt. I say: This is democracy."
Prime Minister Sven Schulze (CDU)
“We as the CDU will also have to deal with this result,” he adds. It was a tough and intensive election campaign. "Some say it would be a black day for Saxony-Anhalt. I say: This is democracy. And people went to the polls today." He points to the high voter turnout. “The people have also set an example.” Now it's time to deal with it and recognize the sign, he says, without explaining what exactly he means by that.
Sven Schulze, Prime Minister and state chairman of the CDU Saxony-Anhalt, comments after the forecast was announced. dpa
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The Greens are heading for their strongest result in history
The Greens, who according to the polls had to worry about entering the state parliament before election day, made it well over the five percent hurdle. According to initial forecasts, they could even exceed their strongest result to date in a state election in Saxony-Anhalt in 2011 (7.1 percent). The party's top candidate, Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz, is correspondingly satisfied - at least with the numbers for her party. For the Greens, these are “great, but also worrying”. De
