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Far-right AfD wins historic victory in German state election

From Daily Star · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Ongoing story
  • The far-right Alternative for Germany won 44% in Saxony-Anhalt, according to exit polls, but fell short of an overall majority.
  • The result marked a historic breakthrough for the AfD and a major setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives amid widespread dissatisfaction with the federal government.
  • The AfD’s platform includes tighter immigration restrictions, restoring ties with Russia, ending support for Ukraine and leaving the euro, while coalition-building remained unclear.

The Alternative for Germany has moved within reach of governing a German state for the first time since World War Two. Exit polls put the far-right party at 44% in Saxony-Anhalt, giving it first place but not an overall majority.

The result delivered a heavy defeat to Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives and exposed the depth of dissatisfaction with Germany’s ruling coalition. A poll by broadcaster ARD found that 87% of voters in the state were unhappy with the federal government. Turnout stood at 77%, according to broadcaster ZDF.

We have made history in this country

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

AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund presented the result as a turning point. “We have made history in this country,” said the 35-year-old, who has drawn thousands to campaign rallies. He said voters had made clear that they wanted political change with the AfD, and cast the state election as a first step toward national power in the 2029 federal election.

The people have made it absolutely clear that they finally want political change and, above all, they have shown that they want it with us

· Ulrich SiegmundSiegmund framed the result as support for the AfD’s wider political ambitions.

It remained uncertain whether the AfD could form a government as counting continued. The party is already Germany’s most popular nationally and wants to use a state foothold to advance an agenda of sharply restricting immigration, restoring relations with Russia, cutting support for Ukraine and abandoning the euro. Merz’s planned reforms to revive the sluggish economy and his public communication style have both faced criticism, while his personal approval rating has fallen to historic lows.

“This election result is, above all, a vote of no confidence in the federal government,” Marcel Fratzscher, president of the German Institute for Economic Research, told Reuters. AfD supporters celebrated in Magdeburg, while far-right leaders elsewhere in Europe welcomed the result as a mandate for change. U.S. President Donald Trump posted a screenshot of the result without comment.

This election result is, above all, a vote of no confidence in the federal government

· Marcel FratzscherThe president of the German Institute for Economic Research assessed the result for Reuters.
About this summary

Originally published by Daily Star. 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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