AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt state election with over 40%, CDU suffers historic defeat

After an unusually quiet evening at the press center for the Saxony-Anhalt state election, journalists, camera crews and technicians were suddenly running around, jostling and shouting. Ulrich Siegmund, the leading candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), went running off with his bodyguards, looking for the best place to stand so that he would be clearly visible on camera when the election projections started appearing on the screens.

And then, a few minutes later, the commotion started up again, as AfD party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla arrived, beaming just as broadly as Siegmund. Another scramble ensued, and the bodyguards shouted: "Stay back!"

At 6 pm, when the preliminary results finally came in, the AfD was well above 40%. For the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which governs the region between the Elbe and the Harz Mountains, it is a nightmare — there's no other way to put it. Weidel subsequently declares the result a clear mandate for her party to form a government. It's hard to disagree with her on that. She tells reporters that even before Christmas rolls around, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) will be replaced following this election result.

Weidel: 'This is a mandate for us to form a government!'

After all, Merz, whose popularity has hit record lows across the country, was rarely seen during this election campaign. And his party here in Saxony-Anhalt was glad about that.

AfD co-chair Tino Chrupalla also spoke of a blow to the chancellor, who he said only makes grandiose announcements. He also accused the chancellor of "unnecessarily escalating" tensions with Russia recently. Once the cameras were off, Chrupalla admitted that even he hadn't expected such a clear victory.

The AfD, which the domestic intelligence agency classifies as "confirmed far-right extremist," held its election party at the Altes Theater, just a stone's throw from the press center. Before entering the building, journalists and visitors were searched by police dogs, and bags were checked twice.

"This feels less like a state election and more like a G7 summit," said DW correspondent Matthew Moore, after finally getting into the Altes Theater. To maintain order over the weekend, 1,800 additional police officers were dispatched to Saxony-Anhalt from other federal states.

'Like a trip to the dentist': The CDU at the Maritim Hotel

And what about the CDU, which has governed Saxony-Anhalt for the last 24 years? The voters' rejection of the party could hardly be more decisive. That Sven Schulze, the incumbent premier, did not resign immediately could even be seen as an act of bravery. With a stony expression, he told his supporters: "This is democracy!"

At the beginning of the year, Schulze succeeded Reiner Haseloff as head of government in Saxony-Anhalt. Seventy-two-year-old Haseloff was highly respected in the state and yet did not wish to run for another term. But when he stepped down, it was too late for Schulze to counter the force of support for the AfD.

The CDU election party — which turned out to be not much of a party at all — was held at the four-star Maritim Hotel. In the hotel ballroom, only die-hard CDU supporters remained to witness the debacle. This year's results were half of what they were in the previous state election. It was a difficult defeat for the party that remained the strongest political force in Saxony-Anhalt for the last twenty years. "It's a bit like being in the dentist's waiting room," a CDU supporter told DW reporter Bernd Riegert with a bitter smile. "You know it's going to hurt, but you can't run away."

Uncertainty regarding the BSW

No matter how big the right-wing populists' election victory may be, the AfD has little chance of governing with an absolute majority. And so far, all other parties have ruled out entering into a coalition with it.

It will likely come down to the economically left-wing and politically conservative Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which could narrowly make it into the state parliament.

Meanwhile, Eva von Angern, the leading candidate for the socialist Left Party in Saxony-Anhalt, spoke of a "dark day" for the state, because of "the consequences this result could have for Saxony-Anhalt and the people of Saxony-Anhalt." And by that, she was also referring to the AfD's hardline policy toward refugees. During the campaign, the AfD made it clear time and again that asylum seekers whose applications were rejected would be deported on a large scale "from day one."

Hope within the SPD for a majority without the AfD

As for the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the junior partner in Chancellor Merz's federal government struck a surprisingly optimistic tone. Despite predictions that they would fare much worse, the Social Democrats are now assured of representation in the state parliament. In distant Berlin, SPD Secretary-General Tim Klüssendorf was not yet ready to give up hope that a coalition of all mainstream parties might be able to bypass the AfD and form a coalition: "If such a majority exists, then it should be formed with the participation of all the parties represented in this state parliament," he said.

Greens between euphoria and shock

The environmentalist Greens spent election night somewhere between euphoria and shock. Actually, the party should be delighted with such an unexpected result. Predictions had long suggested they might fail to clear the five-percent threshold, but now they're safely in. DW reporter Giula Saudelli said that some staff members at the Green Party's election party had tears in their eyes when the projections appeared on the screens: tears of relief for their own party and tears of shock at the AfD's gains.

"There's no reason to jump for joy when it's still unclear whether far-right extremists will be able to govern this state," party co-leader Felix Banaszak told DW. He had spent a lot of time campaigning in Saxony-Anhalt. Videos on social media showed him being openly attacked and verbally abused. But he continued nonetheless. People close to him say that this may have contributed to the Greens' election success — a success that doesn't quite feel like one.

… and in Berlin, the chancellor remains silent

But this much is clear: it was an historic evening in Saxony-Anhalt: a defining moment. Much remains unclear, such as who will eventually govern the state and what consequences this will have for Chancellor Friedrich Merz. A press conference has been scheduled with him for midday on Monday.

This article has been translated from German.