RMF2438 minutes agoPolitics2 min read

AfD wins the elections in Saxony-Anhalt according to exit polls

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Exit polls indicate the victory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt with a result higher than other parties.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU won 18.5 percent, while the Left, SPD and the Greens won about 9 percent each.
The turnout was 80 percent.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The state elections in Saxony-Anhalt are part of the electoral cycle in Germany, which includes votes in individual states. The AfD has been gaining support for years, especially in Germany's eastern states, often presenting itself as an alternative to the establishment. Its program includes demands limiting immigration, criticism of the European Union and the desire to restore closer relations with Russia. In 2023, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified the AfD state branch in Saxony-Anhalt as a right-wing extremist group due to its monitored activities and statements.

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Exit polls show that AfD is significantly ahead of other parties. According to a survey for ZDF, Chancellor Friedriech Merz's CDU party won 18.5 percent. The next places were taken by: the Left (9%), the social democratic SPD (9%) and the Greens (8.5%).

We should know the final election result on Monday morning.

Preliminary data show that turnout was very high and reached 80 percent.

We have achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve, said the leader of the Alternative for Germany in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, on ARD. We wrote history in this federal state, he added. In his opinion, the people of Saxony-Anhalt have sent a clear signal.

Siegmund said that he is open to cooperation with all forces that want to bring about a political turn. According to ZDF's forecast, the AfD will be one seat short of achieving a majority in the parliament in Magdeburg.

Nina Warken, the head of the chancellor's office representing the CDU, said in an interview with ZDF that the decisive victory of the Alternative for Germany in the elections in Saxony-Anhalt is a "turning point" for her party and Germany. She called the election result "very, very difficult."

What are the demands of the AfD?

AfD is described as a right-wing, nationalist, populist and anti-establishment party. Its program includes, among others: a significant reduction in immigration to Germany, a reduction in the competences of EU institutions and their transfer to nation states, as well as the "normalization" of relations with Russia, including the lifting of sanctions and the reconstruction and launch of the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

The AfD state branch in Saxony-Anhalt has been classified by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a right-wing extremist group since 2023.

Two weeks after Saxony-Anhalt, elections will be held in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

The AfD will attempt to form a coalition government in Saxony-Anhalt through talks with smaller parties or independent MPs.
Likely · Within weeks
The CDU will conduct an internal review of the election result and may consider changing its strategy or leadership ahead of the federal elections.
Likely · Within months

Open Questions

Will the AfD be able to form a coalition government in Saxony-Anhalt even though it lacks one majority seat?
What specific steps will the AfD take to implement its demands regarding Nord Stream and relations with Russia?
Will the election results in Saxony-Anhalt affect the CDU's strategy before the federal elections?
What will be the reactions of international partners, especially France and Poland, to the growing influence of the AfD in Germany?