AfD projected to win roughly 44% in Saxony-Anhalt state election
Exit polls show Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leading with about 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, far ahead of the CDU, while the party claims a mandate to govern.
Exit polls indicate the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is set to secure roughly 44-44.5% of the vote in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, outpacing the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is projected at about 18.5%. The AfD described the outcome as a "historic result" and its state leader, Ulrich Siegmund, said the party will not form a coalition with any other party.
If the AfD obtains a majority, it would become the first far-right party to control a German state since World War II, gaining authority over policing, education and cultural policy. Saxony-Anhalt has a population of about 2.1 million, and the state’s domestic intelligence service classifies the AfD as a "far-right extremist" organization, a label Siegmund rejects.
The final composition of the state parliament will depend on whether smaller parties clear the 5% electoral threshold, which could affect the AfD’s ability to form a governing majority.