Two-thirds of Germans worried by Saxony-Anhalt election result, ARD poll finds

The day after the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, two-thirds of Germans said they were worried about the result, according to an ARD Deutschlandtrend extra poll. Only about one in four respondents said they were pleased.

The AfD won almost 44 percent of the vote on Sunday, more than doubling its share from 2021, but fell short of an absolute majority. The CDU, which had governed the state, suffered heavy losses and received 17.2 percent. The state parliament also includes the SPD, Greens and Left, while the BSW entered for the first time.

The poll showed no clear consensus on the AfD’s role. Forty-five percent said Ulrich Siegmund, the party’s lead candidate, should become minister-president, while 48 percent opposed his election. The state intelligence agency classifies Siegmund’s party as confirmed far-right. At the same time, 51 percent said other parties should involve the AfD more in political work, compared with 45 percent who opposed greater involvement.

Dissatisfaction extended to the federal government. Nearly nine in 10 respondents said they were less than satisfied or not satisfied at all with the work of the CDU-SPD coalition. Only one in 10 was satisfied. Just 14 percent trusted Chancellor Friedrich Merz to guide Germany through its upcoming challenges, while 82 percent did not.

Infratest dimap surveyed 1,051 eligible voters online and by telephone for the poll. The stated margin of error was two to three percentage points.