The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has emerged as the overall winner in the elections for the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, marking the first time a party on the extreme-right is set to lead a German state since the end of the Second World War and the fall of the Nazi regime.
The September 6, 2026 election took place following weeks of speculation that it would prove to be a breakthrough win for the insurgent right-wing party.
This year has already been dubbed by Germans as its Superwahljahr – its “super election year” – with previous state elections already taking place back in March in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, and scheduled in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and in the capital, Berlin, later this month.
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The country’s presidential elections are also scheduled for January 2027.
Whilst Chancellor Friederich Merz’s governing Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party had remained on top in these previous elections, the AfD had still seen record results there, too, and they have furthermore been leading in the polls nationally since March.
The AfD, however, had kept out of power at both the federal and state levels due to other parties’ Brandmauer or (“firewall”) policy, whereby they have each resolved not to work with the far-right.
The AfD win in Saxony-Anhalt was even higher than had initially been indicated by the polls, securing 43.8% of the vote on a high turnout of around 77.8% of the electorate.
And, whilst they have come three seats short of securing an absolute majority, the party has still far outperformed others, with the CDU coming in a distant second place on 17.2% of the vote.
Still, it remains to be seen whether the AfD can form a stable government in Saxony-Anhalt without a majority. Ulrich Siegmund, the party’s regional leader, said he’s open to working with any party willing to help the AfD achieve its goals, but warned that if other parties maintain their firewall against cooperation, new elections may simply follow: “if necessary, there’ll just be new elections, then we’d get 50 to 55%.”
Who are the AfD
Classified by German intelligence services as “extremist” – a label they have contested – the AfD was founded in 2013, and is opposed to immigration, “Islamism,” and further integration with the EU.
The party gained greater popularity from 2015 onwards, in reaction to Angela Merkel’s migration policies, and have further branded themselves as the “anti-woke” party, promising to remove LGBT pride flags from public schools, and end the current emphasis in history education on the Nazi period.
They had previously denounced memorials dedicated to the Holocaust as “monuments of shame” for Germans, and have called for an end to support for Ukraine and renewing relations with Russia.
The AfD has also forged links with France’s National Rally party and with the MAGA movement in the U.S., too. In Saxony-Anhalt, Siegmund has promised a “remigration and deportation offensive” from day one for all undocumented migrants.
Whilst they have been leading in the polls nationally, the AfD has consistently performed better in eastern states like Saxony-Anhalt, which have continued to lag behind the west economically even in the decades since German reunification.
Regardless, an AfD-led government in Saxony-Anhalt, even if only a minority government, would for the first time give them powers over key areas such as policing, local education and culture.
The wider reaction
As the results were announced over Sunday evening, Siegmund described his party’s win as “sensational” and stated that he intends to start governing as soon as possible.
“We have achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve,” he added. “We have made history in this state. This isn’t just about Saxony-Anhalt. It’s a signal for the whole of Germany.”
Alice Weidel, the party’s national co-chair, also described the election as “a historic result which clearly gives us a mandate to govern,” adding that she further expects to see early federal elections, and for the current Chancellor “to be replaced before Christmas.”
Chancellor Merz has today reportedly called crisis talks within the CDU, stating that he was “deeply shocked” by “the most severe election defeat the CDU has suffered in years, indeed in decades.”
“When nearly 60% of voters cast their ballots for political parties that fundamentally call into question our country’s democratic institutions, it is an election result we cannot simply move past as if nothing happened,” Merz said.
Figures from across the international right, meanwhile, have expressed their congratulations to the AfD, including tech billionaire Elon Musk, Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev, and former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
“A huge night for Germany and Europe!,” Orbán said on X. “Buckle up. This is just the beginning!”
Others across Europe have however voiced concerns about the spread of the far-right. Benjamin Haddad, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, asserted that neither France nor Germany can forget history. “Nationalism and xenophobia will never be a solution.”
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that the result should be seen as “a warning that the ultra threat is gaining ground in Europe and the world.” Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland, also warned that “only idiots or traitors can rejoice at the triumph of the AfD in Germany.”
Featured image: Alice Weidel via X.
