Far-Right AfD Scores Historic Landslide Victory in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt

Historic Triumph for Far-Right in Saxony-Anhalt

The local elections in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt have delivered a historic landslide victory for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, triggering a political earthquake felt far beyond Germany's borders.

According to near-final results, the AfD fell just short of an absolute majority in the state parliament. Due to the refusal of most other political parties to cooperate with them, the AfD will face significant hurdles in forming a regional government—which would have been the first far-right administration in Germany since the fall of the Nazi regime in 1945.

Nevertheless, the party's near-total victory in Saxony-Anhalt remains a monumental achievement. It severely complicates any attempts by its political rivals to form a stable alternative coalition. The result is seen as a devastating blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, leader of the moderate-conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who took office last year but has since suffered a sharp decline in public support, raising questions about his political future.

The Balance of Power

Near-final figures released early Monday morning show the AfD more than doubled its strength in Saxony-Anhalt, securing 43.8% of the vote in the state of 2.1 million people. This performance translates into 39 seats in the 83-member local parliament—just shy of the 42 seats required for an absolute majority to govern alone.

The CDU of Chancellor Merz, which had governed Saxony-Anhalt for 24 years, saw its support halved to just 17.2%, yielding 15 seats. The center-left Social Democrats (SPD) won 9.3%, the Greens took 8.9%, and the far-left Die Linke secured 8.6%.

The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a far-left party combining socialist economic policies with right-wing stances on social issues like immigration—and, like the AfD, holding pro-Russian views—barely crossed the 5% electoral threshold, securing 5 seats.

All mainstream parties, excluding BSW, have ruled out any cooperation with the AfD under Germany's political "firewall" (Brandmauer) against the far-right. This same barrier blocked the AfD from power following its municipal victory in neighboring Thuringia two years ago. However, BSW opposes the "firewall"—which the AfD denounces as undemocratic—positioning itself as a potential kingmaker. BSW officials stated they would be open to issue-based cooperation with the AfD, though they would prefer an external, non-partisan figure to lead the state government.

Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD leader in Saxony-Anhalt and its candidate for state premier, signaled he would not play political games:

"If necessary, we will simply hold new elections, and then we will win 50% or 55%."

He added, however, that his hand remains extended for cooperation with other parties.

Platform and Extremism Accusations

The AfD's rise is fueled by growing public frustration over mass migration, particularly from the Middle East, and a stagnant national economy. Founded just 13 years ago, the party entered the federal parliament in Berlin for the first time in 2017.

Today, the AfD is the largest opposition party in the Bundestag, having secured second place with over 20% of the vote in the February 2025 federal elections. Current polling for the 2029 general elections places the AfD in the lead with approximately 28%, holding a comfortable 8% margin over Merz's CDU.

The party's platform centers on halting immigration, advocating for mass deportations (which it terms "remigration"), separating refugee children from German children in schools, and withdrawing Germany from the Eurozone.

On foreign policy, the AfD maintains a staunchly pro-Russian stance, calling for restored ties with the Kremlin and an end to financial aid for Ukraine.

Opponents accuse the AfD of harboring neo-Nazis and attempting to downplay Germany's Nazi past. In Saxony-Anhalt, the local domestic intelligence agency officially classified the regional AfD branch as a "proven right-wing extremist organization" due to racist and antisemitic statements by its officials. The AfD rejects this classification, calling it a politically motivated attempt to marginalize them.

International Reactions: From Moscow to Paris

The far-right victory reverberated globally. Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy's League party and Deputy Prime Minister, declared that "another Europe is possible." Viktor Orban, the former Hungarian Prime Minister, congratulated the AfD on X, writing: "Fasten your seatbelts, this is just the beginning."

US President Donald Trump, whose Vice President JD Vance expressed support for the AfD prior to last year's elections, signaled his satisfaction by sharing the results on Truth Social, amid ongoing friction with Chancellor Merz over foreign policy.

In Moscow, the Kremlin welcomed the outcome. Kirill Dmitriev, a special envoy for President Vladimir Putin, shared Trump's post and wrote:

"The historic victory of the AfD is a humiliation for the arrogance, narrow-mindedness, warmongering, incompetence, and hypocrisy of the ruling coalition in Germany, which has lost the public's trust."

Conversely, European centrists expressed deep concern. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk remarked that "only idiots and traitors in Poland could rejoice at the AfD's victory." French Finance Minister Roland Lescure voiced alarm, noting that France is preparing for a potential victory by far-right leader Marine Le Pen in next year's presidential elections. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil described the result as a "message to Berlin" that the federal government must heed.

In Israel and among Germany's Jewish community, the results sparked grave concern. A senior Israeli official, speaking anonymously, called the outcome a "real alarm" and a severe threat to Jewish life in Germany. While the AfD presents itself as a defender of Jews against radical Islam, Jewish leaders point to the party's revisionist stance on Nazi history. Charlotte Knobloch, the 93-year-old Holocaust survivor and prominent Jewish leader in Munich, stated: