The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt's regional elections by obtaining 43.8% of the votes, a result that represents double the performance achieved in 2021. The party fell short of an absolute majority by just three seats, but broke a historical consensus of more than eight decades, as since 1945 no German region had been governed by the far-right. The AfD's candidate for regional Prime Minister, Ulrich Siegmund, classified the moment as "historic" and guaranteed having a mandate to govern, while national co-chair Tino Chrupalla reinforced the party's ambition to assume power both regionally and federally.
On the side of traditional parties, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) saw its vote share cut in half, adding only 17.2%, a result described by its candidate Sven Schulze as a "hard blow." The Social Democrats of the SPD obtained 9.3% and the Greens 8.9%, while the Left reached 8.6% and the populist alliance BSW 5.3%. The FDP fell out of parliament, making BSW the decisive force that could enable an AfD minority government or support a technocratic executive.
The formation of an executive remains in a complex deadlock, as the "firewall" maintained by traditional parties makes a direct coalition with the far-right unviable. The Federal Government and German domestic intelligence agencies classify sections of the AfD, including the Saxony-Anhalt structure, as confirmed right-wing extremist organizations, raising concerns about the party's access to police control, judicial appointments, and management of the public education system. Saxony-Anhalt belongs to the territory of former East Germany, where deep structural imbalances persist that have fueled voting for the AfD.
The victory generated immediate international reactions, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk harshly criticizing Polish right-wing sectors that celebrated the result and the French government qualifying the triumph as "a grave moment for Europe." The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany expressed dismay at the prospect of an extremist party coming so close to governing a federal state. The German business community also expressed fears that the AfD's anti-immigration and eurosceptic rhetoric could harm the attraction of investment and skilled labor.
