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Germany’s AfD wins key state election: Is the far right nearing national power?

From Al Jazeera · () English

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

At a glance

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  • The Alternative for Germany won 44 percent in Saxony-Anhalt, its strongest result in the state, but fell three seats short of an outright majority.
  • The AfD must seek partners to form a government, yet mainstream parties refuse to cooperate with it under Germany’s political “firewall” against the far right.
  • The result strengthens the party’s prospects ahead of the 2029 national election, when forecasts suggest it could finish first.

The Alternative for Germany has moved closer to governing at state level after winning 44 percent of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt. For the first time since World War II, a far-right party is within reach of power in one of Germany’s states.

The result gave the AfD 39 of the 83 seats in the parliament in Magdeburg, three short of the 42 needed for an absolute majority. State leader Ulrich Siegmund called on other political groups to cooperate, saying, “As a democrat, I will reach out to all those who wish to work with us to bring about a fundamental political turnaround.”

As a democrat, I will reach out to all those who wish to work with us to bring about a fundamental political turnaround.

· Ulrich SiegmundThe AfD’s state leader called for cooperation after the party won the election but fell short of a majority.

That appeal faces a major obstacle. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has classified the AfD as “far-right extremist”, and mainstream parties remain wary of forming an alliance with it. The parties’ refusal to cooperate is known as the “firewall”. The AfD has never joined a governing coalition in any of Germany’s 16 states or in the federal government.

made history

· Ulrich SiegmundSiegmund described the AfD’s strongest-ever result in Saxony-Anhalt.

The party’s victory left the incumbent centre-right Christian Democrats, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with 17 percent, less than half the AfD’s share. Siegmund, a charismatic 35-year-old whose rallies drew thousands, told supporters that the AfD had “made history” and that voters had demanded political change with his party.

The result also highlights the party’s national momentum. The AfD supports strong restrictions on immigration, restoring ties with Russia, cutting support for Ukraine and leaving the euro. Recent polling puts it first nationally, while forecasts suggest the Saxony-Anhalt result could signal a historic far-right return in the 2029 federal election. Before the vote, Siegmund had said he wanted to govern alone rather than compromise with other political groups.

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 SiegmundHe told supporters that voters had demanded change under AfD leadership.
About this summary

Originally published by Al Jazeera 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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