AfD wins the elections in Saxony-Anhalt with a result of 44%, it can change the balance of power in the state

According to the forecast prepared by ZDF, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) won as many as 44 percent of the votes in Sunday's elections in Saxony-Anhalt, which gives it a clear advantage over its rivals. This is a historic result that may change the balance of power in this East German state.

The Christian Democrat CDU came in second place with 17.5 percent. The next places were taken by: SPD (9.0%), the Greens (9.0%) and the Left (8.9%). The far-left BSW also exceeded the electoral threshold with a minimal result of 5.0 percent.

Who else is in the Landtag?

This is ZDF's forecast for 10 p.m., which took into account over 70 percent of the votes in most constituencies. The full, official results will be known on Monday morning, but observers agree: there will be no major changes.

The fate of BSW remains a great unknown. If the party stays above the five percent threshold, together with the AfD they can win a total of 43 seats, i.e. a majority in the state parliament. Although a formal coalition is not currently declared by any of the groups, they do not rule out cooperation on selected projects.

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.