Political earthquake in Germany: Far-right AfD scores sweeping victory in Saxony-Anhalt, CDU suffers rout

Germany’s political landscape has been shaken by the AfD’s sweeping victory in Saxony-Anhalt, where the far-right party won 44.4% of the vote and came within reach of an outright majority. The result also delivered a historic setback for the Christian Democrats, whose support fell by roughly half to 18.4%.

The AfD gained much of its strength from former CDU voters and from a large turnout among people who traditionally do not vote. Participation reached a record 78%, giving the result added weight and intensifying the pressure on Berlin’s federal government.

The defeat immediately sparked internal criticism within the CDU. Local party figures have already called for the resignation of state Premier Sven Schulze and the entire leadership. The result also represents a personal blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the CDU’s federal leader. The FDP suffered an even sharper setback, failing to enter the state parliament. Its lead candidate, Lydia Hüskens, resigned from the party leadership, leaving the FDP represented in only five German states.

Ulrich Siegmund, the 35-year-old AfD leader in Saxony-Anhalt, has repeatedly described victory in the state as the first step toward winning at federal level in the 2029 elections. He said, "We wrote history in the country," while ruling out a minority government. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel also called the result historic.

The party now needs a governing partner, but the other parties reject cooperation under the so-called Brandmauer, the refusal to work with forces seen as drifting toward extremism. Germany’s intelligence service has classified the AfD as a far-right extremist party, a label the AfD says insults its millions of supporters and seeks to intimidate them. The party supports tighter migration restrictions, restored ties with Russia and leaving the eurozone. Analysts described the vote as a broad rejection of the traditional political system, while Social Democrat Lars Klingbeil called it a clear message to Berlin.

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We wrote history in the country.