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🇺🇸 United States /Elections & Politics

German far-right party set for strong regional win, but governing remains uncertain

From PBS NewsHour · () English

Translated from English and 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 was projected to win about 44% in Saxony-Anhalt, more than twice its result five years ago, but it appeared slightly short of an outright majority.
  • The result could give AfD its strongest regional breakthrough yet, although it remained unclear whether the party could form Germany's first far-right state government since World War II.
  • The projected result also dealt a blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his Christian Democratic Union, which has led the eastern state for 24 years.

Alternative for Germany appeared headed for a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, but its ambition to form Germany's first far-right state government since World War II remained uncertain after polls closed.

We have written history.

· Ulrich SiegmundThe AfD candidate for governor hailed the party's projected performance in Saxony-Anhalt.

Exit polls and early counting cited by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF put AfD at about 44% in the eastern state, more than double its showing five years ago. The Christian Democratic Union, Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right party, was projected at 18.5%, roughly half its previous support. The Left Party, Social Democrats and Greens were each seen at about 9%, while the BSW party's chances of clearing the 5% threshold remained unclear.

AfD entered the election seeking an absolute majority that would allow it to govern alone and overcome the firewall maintained by mainstream parties that refuse to cooperate with it. The projections put the party at least slightly below that threshold, although the result could still change.

Things cannot carry on like this.

· Ulrich SiegmundSiegmund described the message he said voters had sent through the election.

Ulrich Siegmund, AfD's 35-year-old candidate for governor, called the result historic. Speaking to ARD, he said, "We have written history" and said voters had sent a signal that "things cannot carry on like this." He also described Merz as "a very good campaigner for us in this election campaign," adding that every day Merz remained in the chancellery was "one too many."

A very good campaigner for us in this election campaign was Friedrich Merz.

· Ulrich SiegmundSiegmund said the German chancellor's unpopularity had helped AfD.

AfD national co-leader Alice Weidel called the projected result "sensational" and said the party had received "a very clear mandate to govern here." Whether it can do so remains unresolved. A governing breakthrough would be the biggest prize in the party's 13-year history, while failure to reach a majority would leave the firewall intact. The result is already a setback for Merz, whose national government remains unpopular and has not persuaded voters that it can revive Germany's sluggish economy. AfD's Saxony-Anhalt branch is classified by the domestic intelligence agency as a proven right-wing extremist group, an assessment the party rejects.

We have received a very clear mandate to govern here.

· Alice WeidelThe AfD national co-leader described the projected result as a mandate for the party to govern.
About this summary

Originally published by PBS NewsHour 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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