Voting begins in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt state election

Polling stations opened Sunday morning in Saxony-Anhalt for a state election that could put Germany’s far-right AfD closer to an absolute majority than ever before. About 1.69 million voters are eligible to choose a new state parliament, and interest in the vote extends beyond the eastern German state.

The AfD, classified as definitely right-wing extremist by the state’s domestic intelligence agency, leads several polls with just over 40 percent. The CDU of Minister-President Sven Schulze follows with slightly more than 20 percent. The Left, Social Democrats and Greens could also enter the state parliament, while the BSW and liberal FDP are expected to fall below the five-percent threshold.

The evening could bring a political impasse if the AfD approaches an outright majority or if the BSW’s result hovers around the threshold. The BSW is the only party to have signaled possible limited cooperation with the AfD.

AfD leader Siegmund has announced radical changes if his party wins an absolute majority. If it falls short, he says he will not stand for a vote to elect the minister-president. He has ruled out any coalition with other parties.

Schulze has said he will neither appoint ministers from the AfD or the Left nor form coalitions with them. He has not explained how he would secure the support needed for a minority government with the SPD and Greens. Germany’s federal and state governments have already discussed how to limit the effects of what they view as potentially radical AfD policies if the party wins an outright majority.