The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has won a historic landslide victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election with 43.8% of the vote, leaving it just three seats short of an absolute majority. The result marks the worst electoral defeat in decades for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which collapsed to 17.2%. While a shocked Merz vows to continue his unpopular economic reforms and maintain support for Ukraine, the AfD's Ulrich Siegmund is actively seeking to bypass the mainstream "firewall" to form Germany's first far-right state government since the Nazi era.
AfD landslide victory Saxony-Anhalt
- ▪The Alternative for Germany party won 39 out of 83 seats in the Saxony-Anhalt state legislature, leaving it three seats short of an absolute majority.
- ▪The far-right Alternative for Germany party won a landslide victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election on September 6, 2026, securing 43.8% of the vote.
Merz historic unpopularity
- ▪German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has reached record-low approval ratings, with a Forsa poll showing 78% of respondents believe he is performing worse than expected.
- ▪An exit poll from the Saxony-Anhalt election indicated that only 9% of voters approved of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's performance.
CDU worst electoral defeat
- ▪The Young Union youth organization in Saxony-Anhalt adopted a resolution demanding the resignation and prompt re-election of the entire state CDU leadership.
- ▪The center-right Christian Democratic Union suffered its worst electoral defeat in decades in Saxony-Anhalt, securing only 17.2% of the vote.
Merz vows reform continuation
- ▪German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that his determination to continue with fundamental economic, pension, and tax reforms remains unbroken despite the election defeat.
- ▪German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed that Germany will not budge one millimeter from its fundamental conviction to defend freedom and support Ukraine against Russia.
AfD government formation attempts
- ▪Alternative for Germany candidate Ulrich Siegmund stated that the party has a clear mandate to govern and is reaching out to other legislative groups and individual lawmakers.
- ▪The populist BSW party, which won five seats, signaled it could allow Ulrich Siegmund to become governor by abstaining in a third round of legislative voting.
International concern over result
- ▪Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized those celebrating the election outcome, writing on X that only idiots or traitors in Poland could rejoice over the triumph.
- ▪French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Finance Minister Roland Lescure described the Alternative for Germany's victory as a worrying signal and a betrayal of the European spirit.
Debatable claims
- ▪Germany should proceed with its planned economic and pension reforms
- ▪Germany should continue its strong support for Ukraine
- ▪Friedrich Merz should resign as Chancellor of Germany
- ▪German mainstream parties should maintain the political firewall against the AfD
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