Germany’s Far-Right AfD Scores Historic State Election Victory in Saxony-Anhalt

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has scored a historic victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, winning 43.8% of the vote in the September 6 state election.

The result is the AfD’s strongest electoral performance in its history and puts the party within reach of forming Germany’s first far-right state government since the Second World War. However, the AfD fell short of an outright parliamentary majority and must now find support from other lawmakers to govern.

AfD Dominates the Election

The AfD won 39 of the 83 seats in Saxony-Anhalt’s state parliament, leaving it three seats short of the 42 needed for a majority.

The scale of the victory was particularly striking because the party received 23 percentage points more than it did in the 2021 election, when it won around 20.8% of the vote.

The centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, suffered a major setback. It received just 17.2%, compared with 37.1% in the previous state election.

A Historic Breakthrough for the Far Right

The result is being viewed as a major turning point in post-war German politics.

Since 1945, Germany's mainstream political parties have maintained a strong “firewall” against cooperation with the far right, refusing to form governing coalitions with the AfD.

The party's victory now creates a new challenge because it has won such a large share of the vote that forming a government without considering AfD support could become increasingly difficult.

The AfD's state chapter has been classified as right-wing extremist by Germany's domestic intelligence agency, adding to the political controversy surrounding its rise.

Immigration and Russia at the Centre of AfD Campaign

The AfD's campaign focused heavily on immigration, national identity and dissatisfaction with Germany's political establishment.

The party also supports significantly closer relations with Russia and opposes continued German military support for Ukraine.

Those positions have helped the AfD consolidate support among voters frustrated with the federal government's policies and Germany's economic difficulties.

Economic concerns have also played a role. Analysts have pointed to weaker incomes, population decline and economic uncertainty in parts of eastern Germany as factors contributing to the AfD's growing support.

Merz Suffers a Major Political Blow

The election represents a serious setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his CDU.

Merz's party had governed Saxony-Anhalt as part of the state's political establishment, but its vote share collapsed to less than half its 2021 level.

The result has also intensified criticism of Merz's federal government, which is facing dissatisfaction over the economy, migration and other domestic issues. Reuters reported that Merz acknowledged the election had shaken his party.

Merz has ruled out cooperation with the AfD and argued that the party's policies on migration, Ukraine and Russia are fundamentally incompatible with his government's approach.

Can the AfD Form a Government?

Winning the election does not automatically mean the AfD will control the state government.

With 39 seats, the party needs additional support to reach the parliamentary majority of 42.

The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) won 5.3% and five seats, while the SPD, Greens and Left also entered the parliament. Whether any other party or individual lawmakers will cooperate with the AfD remains the crucial question.

AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund has nevertheless presented the result as a mandate to govern and indicated that the party will seek ways to build a majority.

Germany's Political Firewall Under Pressure

For decades, Germany's mainstream parties have treated cooperation with far-right parties as a political red line because of the country's history under National Socialism.

The Saxony-Anhalt result puts that system under unprecedented pressure.

The AfD now has enough electoral support to become the dominant force in a German state, even though other parties remain unwilling to work with it.

Thousands of people have already taken part in demonstrations against the AfD following the election, with protesters warning that the party's rise represents a threat to democratic norms and minority rights.

A Warning Ahead of More State Elections

The implications extend beyond Saxony-Anhalt.

Germany is scheduled to hold further important state elections, including in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where the AfD is also performing strongly in opinion polls.

That makes Saxony-Anhalt an important test of whether the AfD's surge represents a regional phenomenon or part of a broader transformation of German politics.

The party's record result has already triggered debate over how Germany's mainstream parties should respond — whether by adopting tougher policies on migration and the economy or by directly confronting the AfD politically.

The Bigger Picture

The AfD's 43.8% result is more than a routine state-election victory. It is the clearest indication yet that Germany's far-right has moved from being a protest force to a potential governing force at state level.

Yet the party has not crossed the final threshold.

It won the election, but it did not win a majority.

What happens next in Saxony-Anhalt will therefore be closely watched across Germany and Europe. If the AfD manages to form a government, it would represent an unprecedented development in post-war German politics. If it cannot, the result will still leave the country's traditional political parties facing a fundamental question: how do they respond to a far-right party that is now winning almost half the vote in parts of Germany?

About TVR

TVR: The Voice Of Reform is an independent digital news platform covering major developments across India and around the world.

Editorial Note

Our articles are prepared using publicly available information and verified reporting. We aim to present news accurately, independently and responsibly. Information may be updated as new facts emerge.

© 2026 TVR: The Voice Of Reform. All Rights Reserved.