AfD benefits from high voter turnout in Saxony-Anhalt

René Bender

AfD benefits from high voter turnout

The AfD in particular benefits from the exceptionally high voter turnout in Saxony-Anhalt. According to an analysis by ARD, eligible voters who did not go to the polls in the last state election primarily voted for the AfD. The party gained around 157,000 votes. Another 83,000 votes went from the CDU to the AfD.

According to ZDF, voter turnout was 80 percent, significantly higher than the 60.3 percent in the last state election in 2021.

Miryam Shkljar

First projections from the elections research group

The elections research group on behalf of ZDF reports the following projection for the election results:

AfD: 44.1% (+23.3)

CDU: 18.5% (-18.6)

Left: 9.2% (-1.8)

SPD: 8.8% (+ 0.4)

Greens: 8.7% (+2.8)

BSW: 4.8% (+4.8)

FDP: 2.4% (-4)

Other: 3.5% (-6.9)

Estimated turnout: 80%.

Tim Seckel

BSW candidate: “We can imagine projects with the AfD”

The BSW top candidate Claudia Wittig, standing next to Alice Weidel, announced on ARD that she might vote with the AfD based on “content”. The fact that the AfD is classified as right-wing extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is not an obstacle given the result. Wittig speaks of “specific projects” that the BSW wants to implement. She doesn't say whether she would vote for the AfD candidate Siegmund.

René Bender

SPD calls on the Union to work together with the left

After the election in Saxony-Anhalt, the SPD also called on the CDU to cooperate with the Left, which had previously been excluded. Despite the final result being unclear so far, there is a message of the election, says Secretary General Tim Klüssendorf.

We fought together for a majority of the democratic parties. “And if there is such a majority, then it would have to be formed together with everyone who is represented in this state parliament.”

Bastian Prockner

Seat distribution: BSW could play a decisive role

The state parliament in Magdeburg has 83 seats, so there is a majority of 42 seats. According to current projections by ARD, the AfD would have 39 seats. The BSW would have five seats and could help the AfD gain a majority. A coalition of the CDU, SPD, Greens and Left would not have a majority.

The BSW currently stands at 5.0 percent. If the party were to miss entry into the state parliament, the situation would change. The AfD would currently have 41 seats and therefore no absolute majority. A coalition of the CDU, SPD, Greens and Left would have a narrow majority with 42 seats. However, the CDU had previously ruled out such a coalition. The question of whether the AfD has enough for an absolute majority will continue to determine this election evening.

Tim Seckel

Weidel: “The hand is outstretched”

The AfD co-leader emphasized again on ARD that the AfD is ready to talk about a government if it does not achieve an absolute majority. Her party also wants to talk to the CDU. “We’ll have to see how the evening develops,” she says.

Weidel blames the CDU for the AfD's result. They have not kept any of their political promises. “I don’t expect the CDU to win any elections again,” she says.

Weidel with AfD candidate Siegmund and co-leader Chrupalla. dpa

Bastian Prockner

AfD is probably mobilizing many non-voters

The sharp increase in voter turnout particularly helped the AfD. According to projections by Infratest dimap, 157,000 people voted for the AfD who were non-voters in 2021.

Bastian Prockner

First projection from Infratest dimap: AfD close to an absolute majority – BSW currently represented in the state parliament

This is the first projection from Infratest dimap for ARD at 6:28 p.m.:

AfD: 44.5% (+23.7)

CDU: 18.5% (-18.6)

Left: 9.4% (-3.2)

SPD: 8.2% (-0.2)

Greens: 8.9% (+3.0)

BSW: 5.0% (+5.0)

FDP: 2.1% (-4.3)

Other: 3.4% (-6.9)

Estimated turnout: 76%

Julian Olk

War of words in downtown Magdeburg

There is a large police presence in the city center of the state capital. So far the situation seems calm. On the edge of the train station, right-wing streamers like “Weichreite TV” are fighting verbal battles with critics.

Julian Olk

Tim Seckel

Schulze: Clear defeat for the CDU

The incumbent CDU Prime Minister Sven Schulze congratulates the AfD on its election victory. “We will now have to deal with the result.” He speaks of a clear defeat for the CDU and praises the high voter turnout. “This is democracy,” says Schulze. One should recognize the sign of the voters.

Bastian Prockner

Left-wing top candidate: CDU to blame for AfD's performance

The left-wing top candidate Eva von Angern blames the CDU for the rise of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt. The Christian Democrats have taken over the AfD's themes. “The population chooses the original,” says von Angern. Nevertheless, the Left is prepared to vote for a possible CDU prime minister in order to prevent an AfD government in Saxony-Anhalt.

Miryam Shkljar

Warken speaks of a “breaking point for the party”

Chancellor Nina Warken (CDU) speaks of a “difficult result, which we have to accept, but which we certainly will not accept”. According to Warken, the federal government under the CDU has initiated important reforms, but these reforms “do not happen overnight”. The party needs to work on its communication in order to “give the population confidence again”.

René Bender

CDU General Secretary: There will be no debate about Merz

According to CDU General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann, there will be no discussions about CDU boss and Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the federal level. That wasn't even up for debate, says Hoppermann on ARD. The new CDU parliamentary group in Magdeburg will not work with the AfD.

Martin Knobbe

Tillschneider dreams of a majority in the federal government

A few years ago, the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt was at 20 percent, says AfD state parliament member Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, now it is at 44 percent. If you convert that to the federal level, the AfD could reach “52 percent” there in a few years.

AfD man Tillschneider Martin Knobbe

Martin Knobbe

AfD hopes for one more seat

There is now hope among the AfD supporters at the election party that one more seat will be added during the evening in order to gain an absolute majority in the state parliament. The condition for this is also that the BSW fails at the five percent hurdle. “The wall of shame of democracy has been torn down,” shouts Thuringian state leader Björn Höcke at the AfD election party in Magdeburg. "A historic event. My knees are shaking."

Bastian Prockner

Siegmund no longer rules out a coalition

According to current forecasts, it would not be enough for the AfD to gain an absolute majority. In such a case, Ulrich Siegmund had announced that he would not become Prime Minister. In the ARD interview he suddenly doesn't rule out forming a coalition. “We will extend our hand to all political forces that want to make a political U-turn with us,” said Siegmund.

Bastian Prockner

Siegmund: “Friedrich Merz was a very good campaigner for us”

Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD's top candidate, is pleased with his party's result in an interview with ARD. Siegmund considers the result to be a clear signal to Berlin. Siegmund said about Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz that his policies had contributed a lot to the AfD's results. “Friedrich Merz was a very good campaigner for us,” says the AfD top candidate.

Miryam Shkljar

Weidel sees a clear government mandate

The co-party leader of the AfD, Alice Weidel, says on ZDF that the result is a “clear government mandate” for the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt. “Our hand is outstretched,” says Weidel on the subject of possible coalition and government talks.

Hannah Müller

Silence from the CDU

There was an awkward silence from the CDU when the first forecast was announced in the Maritim Hotel Magdeburg. The party lost around half of the votes compared to 2021.

Martin Knobbe

Big cheers from the AfD

Huge cheers from the AfD at the election party in Magdeburg when the CDU's poor result was announced, even bigger when the ZDF forecast of 44 percent was broadcast in the hall.

Miryam Shkljar

First forecast of the election outcome

This is the first forecast from the elections research group for ZDF at 6 p.m.:

AfD: 44% (+ 23.3)

CDU: 18.5% (-18.6)

The Left: 9% (-2)

SPD: 9% (+ 0.6)

Greens: 8.5% (+2.6)

FDP: 2.5% (-3.9)

BSW: 4.8% (+4.8)

Other: 3.7% (-6.7)

The forecast calls for a voter turnout of 80%.

Bastian Prockner

Forecast from Infratest dimap: AfD clear election winner – CDU crashes

This is the forecast from Infratest dimap for ARD at 6:00 p.m.:

AfD: 44.5% (+23.7)

CDU: 18.5% (-18.6)

Left: 9.5% (-3.1)

SPD: 8.0% (-0.4)

Greens: 9.0% (+3.1)

BSW: 5.0% (+5.0)

FDP: 2.0% (-4.4)

Other: 3.5% (-6.8)

Martin Knobbe

Weidel at the AfD election party

The co-chair of the AfD, Alice Weidel, has just appeared at the AfD election party in the Old Theater in Magdeburg.

Tim Seckel

Voter turnout at 4 p.m. more than 20 percentage points higher

By late afternoon, more people had already cast their votes in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt than five years ago. The voter turnout was 65.3 percent by 4 p.m., as the returning officer Christa Dieckmann announced. In 2021, turnout in the election at the same time was 41 percent; overall at that time it was 60.3 percent.

Voter turnout is determined before the polling stations close without postal voting. Around 1.7 million eligible voters are called to vote this year. The total of around 2,130 polling stations in the country are open until 6 p.m. today.