Sep 20, 2026
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won nearly 44 percent of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt's state election, marking the CDU's worst defeat in decades and bringing the AfD within reach of forming Germany's first far-right state government since the Nazi era. Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed shock at the result but vowed to press ahead with his unpopular reform agenda.
The far-right Alternative for Germany party won a record 44% in Saxony-Anhalt's state election, its strongest showing yet, but fell short of a majority needed to form Germany's first far-right regional government since World War II. The victory, led by charismatic candidate Ulrich Siegmund, puts pressure on other parties to break Germany's traditional 'firewall' against cooperating with the AfD.