German President: Saxony-Anhalt Election Outcome Still Uncertain

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier views the upcoming state election in Saxony-Anhalt as undecided, even with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party leading significantly in opinion polls.

"One should not act as if polls are already the election result," Steinmeier stated in a ZDF interview. He pointed out that the official election campaign has yet to commence, expressing his expectation that centrist parties will actively work to prevent extremist parties from securing an absolute majority.

Recent polling data indicates the AfD holds a substantial lead over the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The current coalition government, comprising the CDU, Social Democratic Party (SPD), and Free Democratic Party (FDP), faces the possibility of losing its majority in the September elections. The AfD has stated its ambition to govern alone, though a minority CDU-led government, potentially cooperating with The Left party on specific issues, is also being considered.

The election in Saxony-Anhalt is scheduled for September 6. Two weeks later, on September 20, state parliament elections will also take place in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin.