Saxony-Anhalt: Crucial election focuses on the economy, welfare and the AfD’s vote share

Saxony-Anhalt’s election has drawn attention across Germany and beyond, with the economy and social security at the center of the campaign. More than half of voters had cast ballots two hours before polling ended, unusually high participation for a state not previously known for strong political engagement.

The AfD appeared almost certain to win according to the latest polls. What remained unclear was whether its final result would allow it to form a government on its own. The party would need close to 43% to establish the first far-right state government in Germany since World War II, while recent surveys placed it two to three points below that level.

Economic criticism shaped the final weeks of the campaign. Voters expressed growing concern about the prices of goods and services, as well as the future of local industries and jobs. An infratest-dimap poll for ARD found that only 13% of respondents felt optimistic about the situation, while 82% said they were worried.

The current coalition of the Christian Democratic Union, Social Democratic Party and Free Democrats satisfied 33% of citizens, while 66% were dissatisfied. Yet 46% preferred a government led by the CDU, compared with 41% who favored the AfD. CDU leader and current state premier Sven Schulze was preferred by 46% as premier, against 40% for AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund.

The state has Germany’s oldest population, with more than half of voters either at retirement age or approaching it. Its industrial base is also going through a period of crisis. The first projected result was expected at 19:00 Greece time, with official results to follow later in the evening. Whatever the outcome, the election was expected to trigger a difficult debate over the limits and resilience of Germany’s informal firewall against cooperation with the far right.