Saxony-Anhalt: Germany wakes up to 'unsettling' AfD victory

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won the Saxony-Anhalt state election but without an absolute majority in parliament. Other European nations were wrestling with the impact of the results. Follow DW.

Far-right AfD hails 'sensational' results in the Saxony-Anhalt vote

AfD expected to struggle with coalition building as many parties reject cooperation

Left-wing populist BSW open to working with AfD on some issues

Merz's CDU suffers worst Saxony-Anhalt result since German reunification

The European press calling the results an "unsettling new page in German history"

Germany's Saxony-Anhalt state held an election on Sunday, September 6. Follow all the developments on Monday, September 7, here.

Germany's far-right AfD has seen an almost constant rise in popularity since it was founded as an anti-euro party in April 2013.

After capitalizing on concerns about then-Chancellor Angela Merkel's immigration policies, the party saw a slight drop in popularity in 2019 amid infighting and backlash against right-wing political violence before latching onto its next theme — what it described as "government overreach" during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The final preliminary results from Sunday's state elections have confirmed the AfD's historic win with tabulations remaining unchanged from a few hours prior.

The far-right party captured 39 seats in all, meaning it eclipsed all other competitors, yet fell just shy of winning an outright ruling majority.

Outside Germany, international observers have called Sunday's AfD electoral victory in Saxony-Anhalt a "clear signal" for establishment parties.

New York's Wall Street Journal pointed to liberal immigration policy and weak economic performance as major contributors to the win, writing that conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz had disappointed voters despite exhibiting the right economic and foreign policy reform instincts. The WSJ called the victory a "warning" that voters could ultimately gamble on letting the AfD lead the country alone.

In Italy, La Repubblica described an "unsettling new page in German history," noting that Saxony-Anhalt's voters — who represent only three percent of Germany's overall population — had betrayed the vow "never again" by choosing a rightwing extremist party espousing the "inhumane ideas" of the Nazi era to run their state.

Milan's Corriere della Sera echoed that sentiment, saying that Germany would "never be the same," and emphasizing that the whole of Europe seems as if "hypnotized by the extreme right."

And in Spain, El Pais wrote that the vote would force Europe's democrats to rethink the tired approach of either imitating far-right extremists in hopes of siphoning off voters or attempting to isolate them. The paper pointed to the AfD in Germany but also France's National Rally (RN) as examples of establishment parties failing to hold back extremists despite the clear moral and political imperative of rejecting cooperation with parties that "question the founding principles of post war democracies."

Tech entrepreneur and the world's richest man, Elon Musk, who has backed Germany’s far-right AfD, congratulated the party on its Saxony-Anhalt election victory.

"Gut gemacht!" (Well Done!) Musk wrote on his social media platform X in response to a post by AfD co-leader Alice Weidel congratulating the party's lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund on the result in Saxony-Anhalt.

Siegmund promptly replied to Musk, thanking him for his "support."

"If we take responsibility here, I would very much welcome the opportunity for strong and constructive cooperation. Germany would once again be a place worth investing in," Siegmund wrote.

Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, the AfD has strengthened its ties with Washington, with Alice Weidel calling the US president a role model and AfD representatives attending his inauguration.

Elon Musk, then a close Trump adviser, openly campaigned for the AfD and continues to back far-right political figures.

Sahra Wagenknecht, founder of the populist BSW, called for a "political reset" in Saxony-Anhalt after the party narrowly cleared the 5% threshold to enter the state parliament.

"There are hopefully now majorities in the Magdeburg state parliament for a change in energy policy, an end to the Russia sanctions, better education and a fundamental reform of public broadcasting," Wagenknecht told dpa.

Since its founding in January 2024, Wagenknecht’s BSW has positioned itself as economically left-wing but culturally conservative. She supports higher minimum wages and rent caps but also backs tougher immigration policies.

She has repeatedly blamed the West for Russia’s war in Ukraine and opposed sanctions against Moscow. BSW politicians, like some AfD figures, have also been accused of maintaining ties with supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The BSW’s comeback has begun," she said, adding "the result would boost her party’s campaign ahead of state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin."

The far-right AfD fell short of an outright majority, leaving the shape of a government in Saxony-Anhalt unclear. Wagenknecht has ruled out a coalition with the AfD but not cooperation, potentially giving her party the balance of power.

"The policy of keeping the AfD out of government has failed. Simply trying to form another coalition to exclude the AfD would be an affront to voters." she said.

According to preliminary official results, the AfD emerged as the largest party but fell short of a governing majority in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament. The far-right party therefore faces challenges in forming a government.

AfD lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt Ulrich Siegmund said his party’s result represented "a clear mandate to govern."

At the same time, the 35-year-old said he currently saw no potential coalition partners. However, he added that he did not know what might happen in the coming days.

"I don’t know whether there are individual lawmakers who might say: 'That’s it, I’m not playing along with this anymore,'" he said, adding, "A lot can still happen." Following the historic win, AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla said: "Ulrich Siegmund will definitely run as a candidate for state premier in the state parliament. That much is certain."

If efforts to form a government fail, Siegmund said a new election could also be an option. "In the worst-case scenario, there would simply be new elections, and then we would get 50% or 55%," he said.

The only coalition that would have a numerical majority without the AfD would be an alliance of all the other parties. However, under a resolution adopted previously, the center-right CDU rules out not only a coalition with the AfD but also with the Left Party. This policy is known as the "political firewall."

That would also be a stumbling block for a CDU-led minority government. In addition, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) could potentially hold the balance of power with five seats. Its leadership has ruled out supporting CDU.

Following the election, the previously governing coalition of the CDU, SPD and FDP will end. However, state premier Sven Schulze and his Cabinet will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a new state premier is elected.

Germany’s mainstream parties have long maintained a "political firewall" against cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany. But that firewall is under growing pressure following the AfD’s historic win in the Saxony-Anhalt state election and prospects in other forthcoming state elections.

The term refers to efforts by established parties to prevent extremist parties from gaining political influence through cooperation or shared votes. The center-right CDU formally rejected cooperation with the AfD in 2018.

But in January 2025, a CDU motion in the Bundestag passed with AfD support, prompting accusations that Chancellor Friedrich Merz had breached the firewall.

The AfD’s growing electoral strength is now raising fresh questions about how long the firewall can hold and what its future means for Germany’s political center.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 43.8% of the vote in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt state election, according to preliminary official results, making it the largest party, but falling short of a governing majority in the regional parliament.

Six parties will be represented in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt, which has 83 seats:

Alternative for Germany (AfD) — 43.8%, 39 seats

Christian Democratic Union (CDU) — 17.2%, 15 seats

Social Democratic Party (SPD) — 9.3%, 8 seats

Green Party — 8.9%, 8 seats

Left Party — 8.6%, 8 seats

Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) — 5.3%, 5 seats

Meanwhile, the business-focused Free Democrats (FDP) secured only 2.6% of the vote, failing to reach the 5% threshold.

According to the preliminary results, turnout was almost 78%, the highest in Saxony-Anhalt since German reunification in 1990.

Historian Katja Hoyer says the AfD's breakthrough was fueled by a more upbeat campaign around Ulrich Siegmund, while mainstream parties struggled to offer a positive vision of change.

As a major setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s center-right CDU, the party came away empty-handed in the individual constituencies.

The CDU failed to win a single direct mandate in the Saxony-Anhalt state election.

According to preliminary figures from the state election authority, CDU candidates were defeated in all 41 constituencies.

Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidates prevailed in 38 constituencies, including lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund in Genthin. Candidates from the Left Party won the remaining three constituencies: one in Magdeburg and two in Halle.

In the 2021 state election, the CDU won direct mandates in 40 of the 41 constituencies, while the AfD won one.

In Germany, voters have two votes. The "first vote" determines the winner of a constituency and the direct mandate. The "second vote" determines the distribution of seats among parties in the state parliament.

The immediate political fallout from the Saxony-Anhalt election results could put pressure on the governing coalition in Berlin over the AfD's growing popularity.

Germany’s next federal election is scheduled for 2029, and political parties are likely to closely watch how the AfD’s rise shapes the country’s political landscape, says DW Berlin bureau chief Max Hoffmann.

Tomio Okamura, the far-right president of the Czech parliament's lower chamber, congratulated the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on its success in the Saxony-Anhalt state election.

According to Okamura, this is the result of the "bad politics" by the "liberal, EU-friendly" parties in Germany.

Okamura's far-right SPD party is part of the Czech governing coalition.

An AfD-led government could bring major changes to migration, education and social policy in Saxony-Anhalt.

The party wants more deportations, mandatory work for asylum-seekers and cuts to integration programs. It also plans to change school curricula, ban rainbow flags in schools and reduce funding for pro-democracy projects.

Some proposals could face legal limits or fall outside state powers. The AfD also wants closer ties with Russia, although foreign policy is mainly decided at the federal level.

"We're going to have to live with this result,"