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AfD Likely to Lead Saxony-Anhalt Election Without Absolute Majority, Poll Shows
🇩🇪 Germany /Elections & Politics

AfD Likely to Lead Saxony-Anhalt Election Without Absolute Majority, Poll Shows

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • A ZDF poll indicates the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is projected to be the strongest force in the upcoming Saxony-Anhalt state election but will likely fall short of an absolute majority.
  • The survey suggests that the Greens and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) are expected to gain seats in the state parliament.
  • The election is scheduled for September 6, with current polling data showing the AfD at 40% and the CDU at 23%.

As Saxony-Anhalt heads towards its state election on September 6, recent polling data suggests a continued lead for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, though likely without securing an outright majority. A representative survey conducted by Forschungsgruppe Wahlen for ZDF's Politbarometer places the AfD at 40% of the vote, significantly ahead of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which garners 23%.

The survey sees the AfD at 40 percent, the Christian Democrats follow with 23 percent.

— Forschungsgruppe WahlenResults from a ZDF-commissioned poll on the upcoming Saxony-Anhalt state election.

The poll also indicates that other parties, including The Left (13%), the SPD (9%), and the Greens (6%), are projected to cross the threshold to enter the state parliament. Parties such as the BSW and the FDP, each polling at 3%, are expected to narrowly miss representation. The research group notes that the more parties successfully enter the parliament, the less likely an absolute majority becomes for the AfD, a party classified as extremist in the state.

The current government's work is rated with a slightly negative average value of minus 0.6 on a scale from plus five to minus five.

— ZDF PolitbarometerPublic assessment of the current government's performance in Saxony-Anhalt.

In a hypothetical direct election for the state's top executive position, current Minister-President Sven Schulze (CDU) would receive 48% of the vote, while AfD challenger Ulrich Siegmund would secure 32%. Public opinion on an AfD-led state government is divided, with 54% of respondents viewing it negatively and 30% positively. The performance of the current CDU-led government received a slightly negative average rating of -0.6 on a scale of +5 to -5, while the AfD's opposition work was rated at -0.9.

In a direct comparison of the top candidates, Minister President Sven Schulze (CDU) would get 48 percent in a hypothetical direct election, while AfD challenger Ulrich Siegmund would be chosen by 32 percent.

— Forschungsgruppe WahlenDirect comparison of leading candidates in the Saxony-Anhalt election polls.

These findings align with a separate ARD survey by Infratest dimap, which also shows the AfD leading with 42% of the vote, followed by the CDU at 22%. Both polls suggest the AfD will not achieve an absolute majority. The ZDF survey, conducted between August 25-27, included 1,053 eligible voters, with 31% still undecided about their vote.

An AfD sole government would be considered bad by 54 percent of respondents and good by 30 percent.

— Forschungsgruppe WahlenPublic opinion on a potential sole AfD government in Saxony-Anhalt.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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