Election Shock in Germany: AfD Doubles Vote, Narrowly Misses Outright Majority

The AfD has nearly doubled its support in Saxony-Anhalt, according to exit polls that put the far-right party at 44.5% and just short of a solo majority in the state parliament.

The result represents a 23.7-point increase over the party’s showing in the 2021 election. With no outright majority, the AfD would need a coalition to form a state government. An administration without the AfD would require all the other parties to join together.

The Christian Democratic Union, the federal government’s largest coalition partner, suffered the sharpest setback among the main parties. Its support fell 18.6 points to 18.5%, leaving it in second place. The Left Party came third with 9.5%, down 1.5 points, followed by the Greens at 9%.

The Social Democratic Party took 8%, a decline of 0.4 points. The Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht, or BSW, polled 5% and appeared to qualify for parliament, although it remained unclear whether it had crossed the threshold. The Free Democratic Party received 2%, down 4.4 points, and failed to enter the legislature.

The result drew immediate attention from international media. Bloomberg said the AfD had won amid growing public dissatisfaction, while CNN and The New York Times highlighted the uncertainty over whether the party’s gains would be enough to govern. The Wall Street Journal described an AfD victory as historic.