BERLIN: The far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, won about 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt’s state election Sunday, defeating Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives and putting the party within reach of governing a German state for the first time since World War II.
The AfD did not secure a majority, leaving the next government uncertain. But its decisive victory in the eastern state of just over 2 million people delivered a major blow to Germany’s ruling coalition and highlighted the party’s growing influence ahead of the 2029 federal election.
Turnout reached about 77%, according to broadcaster ZDF, underscoring the significance of an election that has become a test of public confidence in Germany’s established political parties.
“We have made history in this country,” said Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s 35-year-old lead candidate.
Siegmund said voters had made clear that they wanted political change and presented the result as a first step toward the AfD’s broader ambition of winning national power.
Celebrations erupted at the party’s election-night gathering in Magdeburg, where supporters waved German flags and embraced as Siegmund appeared alongside AfD co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla.
The result drew attention abroad as well. U.S. President Donald Trump posted a screenshot of the results on his Truth Social account without comment, while far-right leaders elsewhere in Europe praised the AfD’s performance.
The election was a sharp setback for Merz, whose government has faced declining public support as Germany struggles with economic weakness and voters question its policies.
An ARD poll found that 87% of voters in Saxony-Anhalt were dissatisfied with the federal government.
“This election result is, above all, a vote of no confidence in the federal government,” said Marcel Fratzscher, president of the German Institute for Economic Research.
Merz has pledged business-friendly reforms and increased spending to revive Germany’s economy. He also warned before the vote that an AfD victory could hurt Saxony-Anhalt by discouraging foreign investment.
The mainstream parties have refused to cooperate with the AfD. Germany’s domestic intelligence service in Saxony-Anhalt has classified the party as right-wing extremist, a designation the AfD rejects as an attempt to discredit it.
The AfD’s 44% showing was not enough to govern alone, meaning it would need support from other parties to form a government.
The small Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, or BSW, appeared likely to enter the state parliament and has proposed a nonpartisan premier who could rely on shifting majorities, potentially including AfD votes.
Siegmund rejected the proposal and said the AfD would not accept an arrangement that prevented it from carrying out its policies.
“If push comes to shove, there will simply be new elections,” he said.
Merz’s conservatives said they would explore talks with other parties, although building a coalition could prove difficult because of their conflicting political positions. Neighboring Thuringia offers an example of the challenge, where the conservatives lead a minority government with passive support from the Left party.
The AfD built its campaign around public frustration with established parties, particularly over immigration, economic conditions and concerns about security.
Its platform calls for tighter immigration restrictions and changes to education, cultural institutions and public broadcasting. Among its proposals are separate classes for children of refugees, a ban on rainbow flags in schools and daily displays of the German flag.
The party also wants students and staff to sing the national anthem at school celebrations and has proposed citizen patrols, more Russian-language teaching and a halt to new wind farm construction.
On foreign policy, the AfD advocates restoring closer ties with Russia, ending German support for Ukraine and leaving the euro.
The party’s rise is especially sensitive in Germany because of the country’s Nazi past, which has made mainstream political leaders reluctant to cooperate with the far right.
The AfD was founded in 2013 and has since evolved from a protest movement into a major political force. A recent INSA poll put it at 28% nationally, ahead of Merz’s conservatives at 20%.
The Saxony-Anhalt vote now leaves Germany’s established parties facing a difficult task: responding to voters’ dissatisfaction while preventing the AfD from converting its growing support into further political power.
