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🇳🇵 Nepal /Elections & Politics

Far-right AfD scores historic victory in German state election

From Kathmandu Post · () English

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

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The Alternative for Germany won 44% in Saxony-Anhalt’s state election, according to exit polls, finishing first but short of an overall majority.
  • The result dealt a major blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives and intensified pressure on Germany’s governing coalition.
  • The AfD’s lead candidate called the result historic, but forming a government remained uncertain because mainstream parties refuse to work with the party.

The Alternative for Germany surged into first place in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, winning 44% of the vote in a result that brought the far-right party closer to state power than at any time since World War Two.

The AfD fell short of an overall majority but heavily defeated Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives. The result reflected the unpopularity of Germany’s ruling coalition and a political landscape that continues to fragment. Turnout reached 77%, broadcaster ZDF reported.

We have made history in this country.

· Ulrich SiegmundThe AfD’s lead candidate described the party’s first-place finish in Saxony-Anhalt.

“We have made history in this country,” said Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s 35-year-old lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt. He had drawn thousands to campaign rallies and repeatedly presented a state victory as a first step toward securing national power in the federal elections scheduled for 2029.

Above all, a vote of no confidence in the federal government.

· Marcel FratzscherThe president of the German Institute for Economic Research assessed the election result.

An ARD poll found that 87% of voters in the state were unhappy with the federal government. Marcel Fratzscher, president of the German Institute for Economic Research, described the outcome as “above all, a vote of no confidence in the federal government.” Merz has promised business-friendly reforms and increased spending to revive Europe’s largest economy, while warning that an AfD victory could damage Saxony-Anhalt and deter foreign investment.

The mainstream parties have all ruled out cooperation with the AfD, which Germany’s domestic intelligence service in Saxony-Anhalt has classified as right-wing extremist. The small Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance appeared likely to clear the threshold for parliament and has floated a non-partisan state premier supported by shifting majorities, potentially including AfD votes. Siegmund rejected that idea as a “mess” and ruled out arrangements that would prevent the AfD from carrying out its promised changes. Merz’s conservatives said they would explore talks with other parties, though any coalition could bring together sharply different political agendas.

Mess.

· Ulrich SiegmundHe rejected the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance’s proposal for a non-partisan premier supported by shifting majorities.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. 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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