AI-generated summary
Die AfD gewinnt in Sachsen-Anhalt zunehmend Unterstützung bei jungen Wählern, während die CDU bei dieser Altersgruppe stark verliert.
Die AfD wird bei jungen Menschen immer stärker, besonders im Osten. In Sachsen-Anhalt zeigt sich das jetzt so deutlich wie nie. Der Politikwissenschaftler Marcel Lewandowsky erforscht seit Jahren den Aufstieg der AfD.
ZEIT Campus: Herr Lewandowsky, 41 Prozent der 18- bis 24-Jährigen haben gestern die AfD gewählt, so viele wie nie. Fünf Prozent haben sich für die CDU entschieden, so wenige wie nie. Schockt Sie das?

The AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt has caused concern in France, with politicians from left to center warning of the rise of the far-right party and seeing the danger of contagion for France, while Marine Le Pen is silent and her rival Sarah Knafo cheers.

The coalition of CDU, SPD and FDP lost its majority in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt. The CDU and SPD only have 23 of the 83 seats, the FDP has been eliminated. The AfD also does not have a majority. The five representatives of the BSW could be the deciding factor in forming a government. The state parliament must be constituted within 30 days. The senior president is the longest-serving member of parliament. The rules of procedure must be re-adopted. The BSW could support the AfD by abstaining. A caretaker prime minister could remain in office until a new one is elected, possibly for years. The election of the Prime Minister follows a rigid schedule with possible dissolution options after failed ballots.

Mr. Dittrich comments on the AfD's election results in Saxony-Anhalt and sees it as a reaction to federal policy, not as a local success. He emphasizes that voters addressed the federal government due to economic standstill and job losses.

The AfD achieved 43.8 percent in Saxony-Anhalt, the best result of a party since the fall of the Wall. The CDU lost 19.9 points, while voter turnout was 77.8 percent - the highest figure since 1998 in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

According to initial reports, the AfD received 44 percent of the votes in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, 2026. The party is considered to be right-wing extremist. An earlier quote from its former Federal Chairman Alexander Gauland about Hitler and the Nazis as “bird shit” in German history sparked outrage.

The day before the AfD election victory in Magdeburg, long-time mayor Claus Kaminsky was bid farewell in Hanau after 23 years in office. The praise expressed for him there is seen as a counter-image to the reasons that motivate people to vote for the AfD.