MAGDEBURG: Exit polls on Sunday handed Germany’s far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) a landmark victory in Saxony-Anhalt, marking the first time since World War II that a far right party has topped a state election. The AfD drew 44.5 percent of the vote, more than double the 18.5 percent for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s centre right Christian Democrats (CDU), according to ARD broadcaster projections.
“We have made history in this state,” said AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund, framing the result as a mandate for change. Co-leader Alice Weidel called it a “historic” win, though it remains unclear whether the party can form a government. Exit polls suggest the AfD narrowly missed an absolute majority in the state parliament, leaving coalition arithmetic uncertain.
The outcome is a fresh blow to Merz, whose federal coalition has struggled to revive growth in Europe’s largest economy. CDU state leader Sven Schulze may still seek a multi party alliance to keep the AfD from power, relying on the “firewall” the long-standing refusal of mainstream parties to govern with the AfD.
The AfD’s surge taps into East German nostalgia and lingering resentment over the wealth gap with the west decades after the Berlin Wall fell. Siegmund, often pictured on the iconic Simson moped, has cultivated an “Ossie pride” image while advancing radical pledges, including a “remigration and deportation offensive” against undocumented migrants.
The party’s anti “woke” platform promises to replace LGBTQ pride flags in schools with the German flag and to reduce emphasis on Hitler’s Third Reich in history lessons. To counter labor shortages, it proposes luring back German expatriates and offering “baby bonuses” to reverse population decline in the 2.1 million strong state.
Critics warn the agenda could backfire. The German Economic Institute says the AfD’s immigration stance would be “ruinous” for Saxony-Anhalt, which depends heavily on foreign born workers, especially in health care. Security officials also fear an AfD run apparatus could leak sensitive data to Russia, with one minister calling the party Moscow’s key tool to destabilize Germany.
For now, the AfD holds the lion’s share of votes but whether it can turn that into control of the state remains the open question in Magdeburg.
