Key Results
- AfD: ~43.8–43.79% (more than doubling its 2021 result of about 20.8%), 39 seats in the 83-seat Landtag. It won the vast majority of direct constituency seats (38 of 41) and was the strongest party in all 218 municipalities.
- CDU (Christian Democratic Union, previously the leading party and part of the incumbent government under Minister-President Sven Schulze): ~17.2–17.23% (down sharply from 37.1% in 2021), 15 seats. It won zero direct mandates.
- SPD: ~9.3%, 8 seats.
- Greens (Grüne): ~8.9%, 8 seats.
- The Left (Die Linke): ~8.6%, 8 seats (won the remaining three direct seats, in Magdeburg and Halle).
- BSW (Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance): ~5.3%, 5 seats (entered parliament for the first time in the state).
- FDP: ~2.6%, failed to clear the 5% threshold and is out of the parliament.
- Turnout was high at approximately 77.8–78%, the highest in the state since reunification and well above the ~60% in 2021.
This is widely described as the AfD’s strongest performance in any German state election to date and the highest vote share for a single party in Saxony-Anhalt’s post-reunification history in many comparisons. The party’s lead candidate, Ulrich Siegmund (age 35), framed it as historic and a mandate to govern, with national co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla also celebrating.
Context and Significance
Saxony-Anhalt (population just over 2 million, former East Germany) has long been a stronghold for protest voting and right-wing support. The AfD’s Saxony-Anhalt branch is classified as confirmed right-wing extremist by the state’s domestic intelligence agency. The party campaigned heavily on strict immigration controls, criticism of the federal government, economic discontent, and warmer relations with Russia, among other themes. The result reflects broader national trends: the AfD has polled as Germany’s most popular party in some recent surveys (around 28%), ahead of the CDU under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose coalition faces significant unpopularity.
The CDU’s collapse is particularly notable, as it had led every state government in Saxony-Anhalt since 2002. Many former CDU voters shifted to the AfD. Mainstream parties maintain a “firewall” (Brandmauer) against cooperating with the AfD.
Government Formation Challenges
An absolute majority requires 42 seats. The AfD’s 39 seats leave it three short. A theoretical “firewall” coalition of CDU + SPD + Greens + Left also totals only 39 seats. Adding the BSW’s 5 seats creates a non-AfD majority of 44, but this would require an unusually broad and ideologically diverse alliance (including the Left, which the CDU has historically resisted working with closely).
Siegmund has indicated reluctance to lead a pure minority government and has spoken of possible new elections (claiming the AfD could then reach 50%+) or arrangements with individual lawmakers or parties. The AfD has offered exploratory talks involving the CDU and BSW. Mainstream parties have reiterated their refusal to form a government with the AfD. Negotiations are ongoing and expected to be difficult; the previous CDU-led coalition (which included the FDP) cannot continue in the same form.
Broader Implications
- This is the closest the AfD has come to leading a state government since World War II, testing the post-war consensus against far-right participation in power.
- It increases pressure on Merz’s federal coalition and underscores deepening East-West political divides and voter dissatisfaction with mainstream parties on issues including migration, the economy, and energy/foreign policy.
- High turnout and the AfD’s near-clean sweep of municipalities and constituencies highlight the scale of the shift.
- Reactions have included statements of shock from Chancellor Merz and concern from neighbouring countries such as Poland and France.
