Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has emerged as the leading party in a key regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, according to exit polls. The party is ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the eastern state, though it remains uncertain if AfD will gain enough seats to form a government. AfD received about 44% of the vote, more than double its 20.8% share in the 2021 regional election. The CDU, which won 37.1% in 2021, was projected at around 18.5%.
If AfD is able to form a government in Saxony-Anhalt, it would be a historic milestone, marking the first time since World War II that a far-right party controls a German state government, according to NPR. Winning the most votes does not automatically put the party in power because most other parties have ruled out forming a coalition with AfD, making the final distribution of seats particularly important. The party’s growing influence is not limited to eastern Germany; at the national level, AfD is also polling first. AfD has been labeled a right-wing extremist group by intelligence authorities in several German states. In Saxony-Anhalt specifically, the state domestic intelligence agency has classified the AfD branch as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization.
Speaking to public broadcaster ZDF, AfD federal leader Alice Weidel claimed that Chancellor Merz’s conservatives would never win another election. She said the party is seeing explosive growth in Saxony-Anhalt, a sign of broader changes in German politics.
The AfD candidate leading that rise is Ulrich Siegmund, a 35-year-old former marketing professional with a polished public image. Siegmund often appears in videos wearing a perfectly ironed white polo shirt or starched dress shirt, a look that has become associated with the party’s newer, more professional presentation. His neatly styled hair and consistent smile set him apart from other AfD members, who often appear more grim or serious. Despite his friendly demeanor, Siegmund supports some of the most extreme positions on immigration in modern European politics.
He has advocated for mass deportations and pushed for changes to migration and education policies. The AfD also supports altering the region’s public broadcaster and building closer ties with Russia and the MAGA movement in the United States. The party's Saxony-Anhalt platform also calls for allowing home schooling, changing rules surrounding symbols such as rainbow flags in schools and pushing to lift sanctions against Russia, although some of those policies would fall outside the authority of a state government.
The outcome of this election will be closely watched as it may shape Germany's political future. The result is already the AfD's strongest performance in a German state election and more than doubles the party's vote share in Saxony-Anhalt from five years earlier.
Supporters gathered in Magdeburg to celebrate the results at an election night event, according to a report from NPR. The party’s success in Saxony-Anhalt reflects a broader shift in German political dynamics. It shows that anti-establishment sentiment is growing beyond the eastern regions of the country.
The party’s rise continues to challenge traditional political structures in Germany. AfD’s increasing popularity raises concerns among political observers about the direction of German democracy, the BBC reported.