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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Elections & Politics

Anti-Islam, pro-Israel AfD wins election in Germany

From Republika · () Indonesian

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

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • The AfD won 44.5% in Saxony-Anhalt, more than doubling its 2021 result and finishing well ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats at 18.5%.
  • The result could allow the far-right party to govern a German state for the first time since the Nazi era, although it remains unclear whether it can secure enough seats or political support to form a government.
  • The victory prompted criticism in France, while Israeli officials have considered the AfD a potential political partner despite its far-right profile and controversies over antisemitic and Holocaust-revisionist statements.

The Alternative for Germany, a far-right and pro-Israel party, has won the state election in Saxony-Anhalt with 44.5% of the vote, according to an ARD exit poll. The result more than doubles the party’s share from 2021 and puts it far ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democrats, who won 18.5%.

We have made history in this state.

· Ulrich SiegmundThe AfD’s lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt celebrated the party’s state election victory.

Turnout stood at about 76%, Reuters reported, unusually high compared with state elections in Germany. Whether the AfD can translate its lead into power remains uncertain. The party still needs enough seats and political backing to form a state government.

Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s 35-year-old lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, told Reuters: “We have made history in this state.” The result immediately raised concern in France. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, one of the country’s leading opposition politicians, wrote on X that “the far right has returned to Germany.” He called the result “a disaster” and said Germany’s project to build Europe’s first conventional army would be unacceptable to France under such circumstances.

The far right has returned to Germany.

· Jean-Luc MélenchonThe French opposition politician criticized the AfD’s victory in a post on X.

The AfD’s far-right status has not prevented members of Israel’s government from considering it a possible political partner. In February 2025, Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli praised the party for targeting groups campaigning for Palestinian rights. He said the AfD had, “surprisingly,” led efforts against German support for organizations critical of Israel.

A disaster

· Jean-Luc MélenchonMélenchon’s description of the election result.

AfD leaders have sought to present the party as a committed supporter of Israel, despite antisemitic and Holocaust-revisionist statements by some party figures. In a January 2025 conversation with Elon Musk, AfD leader Alice Weidel described the party as “the only protector of Jews” in Germany. She linked its support for Israel directly to its campaign against Muslims and immigration, presenting Israel as a partner in the party’s broader confrontation with Islam and Muslims.

The only protector of Jews

· Alice WeidelThe AfD leader’s description of her party during a January 2025 conversation with Elon Musk.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. 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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