German voters head to polls as far-right AfD party eyes historic state win

Voters in Saxony-Anhalt head to the polls on Sunday in an election that could give the far-right Alternative for Germany its first state-level governing victory in Germany since World War II.

Recent surveys place AfD at 40%, well ahead of the centre-right Christian Democrats at 23%. The party has led for months and could win an absolute majority if several smaller parties fail to clear the 5% threshold. If it falls short, a CDU-led administration under incumbent premier Sven Schulze remains the most likely outcome, potentially followed by weeks of coalition negotiations.

AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund, a former CDU member, has predicted an outright victory and said it would help lead the anti-establishment party toward national power in 2029. Der Spiegel has called him “Germany’s most dangerous man.” Siegmund told Bild, “It was the others who erected the firewalls. If no one wants to work with us, then we’ll just have to do it alone.”

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It was the others who erected the firewalls. If no one wants to work with us, then we’ll just have to do it alone.

The election is a major test of the mainstream parties’ policy of refusing to cooperate with AfD, a barrier the far-right party has already overcome at the local level. CDU leader and Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged politicians to engage more effectively with AfD issues and language, following a crude statement by Saxony-Anhalt AfD leader Martin Reichardt.

Thousands gathered in Magdeburg on the eve of the vote for a festival supporting democracy and an open society. Organisers estimated attendance at between 15,000 and 20,000 people. Initial results were expected at about 16:00 GMT on Sunday.

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We must address the issues at hand. We must also address our choice of words.