International press review on the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt

The state elections in Saxony-Anhalt this Sunday are not only of concern to Germany, but are also of interest far beyond the border. According to surveys, the AfD is likely to become by far the strongest force. The question is whether their victory will be clear enough for a far-right party to come to power in a German state for the first time since the Second World War. And that's exactly what the foreign press is concerned with. An overview.

BBC, Great Britain

The British BBC writes: "This is an election that could change German history."

Guardian, Great Britain

The "Guardian", which is also British, says about the consequences of this election for Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU): "For the Chancellor and chairman of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a change of power in favor of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in this federal state could be the biggest catastrophe so far of his term in office, which is already marked by seemingly incessant setbacks."

The Guardian describes the AfD's top candidate Siegmund as follows: "Ulrich Siegmund, the party's 36-year-old, photogenic figurehead, has a sizeable fan base on TikTok. He is received like a pop star by his supporters across the state and often travels around East Germany on a moped from the time before reunification. The former air freshener salesman with a degree in business psychology embodies charm and wit that his party colleagues often lacked.

CNN, USA

The US broadcaster CNN says: "All in all, this means that the predicted approval of 42 percent for the AfD represents a loud knock on the gates of power."

"Le Monde", France

The French daily newspaper “Le Monde” also addresses the importance of the election for the AfD’s opponents: “The expected breakthrough of the AfD confirms the decline of the parties that have shaped German political life for eighty years. It also tests their inner cohesion. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU (Christian Democratic Union, right) is even threatened with collapse if local politicians break through the isolation policy imposed against the frowned upon AfD."

»El País«, Spain

The Spanish newspaper "El País" is looking for reasons for the likely good performance of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt: "According to surveys, the likely resounding success of the right-wing extremist AfD in the elections scheduled for this Sunday in the small East German state of Saxony-Anhalt is emerging as a symptom of dissatisfaction with the country's hardships at this time and of disappointment with the traditional parties. (…) The reasons for this rise are diverse. Germany has made many key decisions wrong in recent decades. It relied on energy policy dependence on Russia, on military dependence on the USA and was one of the main drivers of trade opening with China, which after several decades of fat profits has become the death knell. (…) There are other reasons. The complications caused by strong migration flows (…) are part of the explanation. The ongoing economic stagnation is obviously another. (…)«

»De Telegraaf«, Netherlands

The Dutch newspaper “De Telegraaf” talks about possible coalitions after the election: “According to the surveys, the AfD will be the strongest force by a large margin, but will miss an absolute majority. In this case, collaboration with other parties would be required. This is out of the question for top candidate Ulrich Siegmund, as he explained on television. He only wants to govern if his party achieves an absolute majority and can therefore fully implement its election program. (…) Another possibility would be that the AfD could convince some conservative CDU MPs to support them. If Chancellor Friedrich Merz has his way, that won't happen. He refers to the CDU's party decision never to cooperate with the AfD. (…) For the obvious alternative - a minority government with the CDU top candidate Sven Schulze as Prime Minister - Merz's party would have to swallow a bitter pill. For this she would need the support of the left, which emerged from the communist GDR party SED. But the CDU also stated that it doesn’t want to have anything to do with the Left.”