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🇦🇹 Austria /Elections & Politics

Morning briefing: AfD makes history in Saxony-Anhalt, Mladić burial draws outrage

From Die Presse · () German

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

At a glance

News Documents & data Ongoing story
  • The AfD, led by Ulrich Siegmund, won Saxony-Anhalt’s state election by a large margin but did not secure an absolute majority; the CDU finished second after heavy losses.
  • Serbia plans to bury convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić with full military honors, prompting anger from victims’ relatives and the EU.
  • US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Kyiv for talks on ending the Ukraine war, while the EU plans greater investment in Greenland and schools reopen in parts of Austria.

The AfD has won Saxony-Anhalt’s state election by a wide margin, writing what its top candidate Ulrich Siegmund called “history” in the German state. The party failed to win an absolute majority, however, while the CDU, led by Minister-President Sven Schulze, came second after heavy losses.

The SPD, Left, Greens and BSW each entered the state parliament with single-digit results, according to preliminary figures published on the state election authority’s website. The result has also triggered reactions beyond Germany, with Austria’s FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl congratulating the AfD and describing the vote as the removal of the “system parties.”

We have made history in this state.

· Ulrich SiegmundThe AfD’s lead candidate celebrated the party’s election result in Saxony-Anhalt.

In Serbia, President Aleksandar Vučić plans to have Ratko Mladić buried on Monday at Belgrade’s Topčider cemetery with full military honors. Mladić was convicted of genocide. The plan has horrified relatives of those killed in Srebrenica and drawn criticism from the EU. In 2015, Vučić said Serbia was “disgusted” by everyone involved in the “monstrous crime” in Srebrenica. His current message is that Mladić will receive the funeral he deserves.

Disgusted

· Aleksandar VučićIn 2015, Serbia’s president described his country’s reaction to those involved in the Srebrenica crime.

US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Kyiv for the first time as efforts continued to end the war in Ukraine. After meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Witkoff described the talks as “substantive” and said the sides had held “a very meaningful, substantive and important discussion.” He added that they were encouraged and ready to continue for as long as necessary. The briefing said the mediation effort already appeared doomed after an earlier meeting with the Kremlin leader in Moscow.

The European Union plans to significantly expand investment in Greenland. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce the increase during a Monday visit to the Danish autonomous territory, with plans covering critical minerals, satellite communications and renewable energy. The move is intended to signal opposition to US President Donald Trump’s annexation plans.

Monstrous crime

· Aleksandar VučićVučić used the phrase in 2015 when referring to the Srebrenica massacre.

More than half a million pupils in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland begin the new school year on Monday, including 42,000 children starting school for the first time. Another 663,000 children and young people in Austria’s other six states have one more week of holidays.

A very meaningful, substantive and important discussion

· Steve WitkoffThe US envoy characterized talks with the Ukrainian side during his first visit to Kyiv.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Presse in German. 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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