Most Germans see AfD government in Saxony-Anhalt as a threat to democracy

A majority of Germans surveyed view an absolute majority for the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, in Saxony-Anhalt as a threat to democracy, according to an Ipsos poll commissioned by Der Spiegel.

Forty-one percent of respondents fully agreed that an AfD regional government would be “a danger to democracy in Germany,” while another 12% partly agreed. Twenty-one percent fully rejected that view and 13% partly disagreed.

The poll found a clear divide between western and eastern Germany. In the west, 45% agreed that an AfD government in Saxony-Anhalt would pose a danger to democracy, while 19% rejected the statement. In the east, 28% saw such a government as a threat, compared with 29% who did not.

Men and women also expressed slightly different views. Forty-four percent of women fully agreed that an AfD government would threaten democracy, compared with 38% of men.

Voting-intention surveys for the Saxony-Anhalt election predicted a clear AfD victory and suggested the party could win an absolute majority of seats in the state parliament. That result would open the way for the AfD to lead a regional government for the first time in its history.