AfD Calls for Talks After Historic Victory in Saxony-Anhalt

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has called on rival political parties to work with it after securing a historic victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The AfD won 43.8% of the vote in Sunday’s state election, putting the party just three seats short of an outright majority in the 83-seat parliament.

The result gives the party 39 seats, compared with the 42 required to govern alone, leaving it searching for support from other parties or individual lawmakers.

AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund described the result as a “clear mandate to govern” and said discussions with other political groups had already begun.

AfD pushes for cooperation

Beatrix von Storch, one of the party’s senior parliamentary figures, urged other parties to enter negotiations, arguing that voters’ decision could not simply be ignored.

She said the election result meant political opponents now had to decide whether they were prepared to work with the AfD.

The party is expected to approach members of other parliamentary groups as it attempts to build enough support to form a government.

One possibility being discussed is an informal arrangement involving the left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which is projected to hold five seats.

Such an agreement could potentially allow the AfD to operate as a minority government if the BSW provided tacit support.

However, the majority of Germany’s established parties continue to reject formal cooperation with the AfD.

Chancellor warns of a political shock

The result has sent shockwaves through Germany’s political establishment.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was deeply concerned by the outcome and described the election as a seismic moment for both the country and his conservative CDU party.

The CDU’s vote share in Saxony-Anhalt fell to 17.2%, almost half its previous level.

Merz said Germany could not simply return to “business as usual” and argued that significant reforms were needed, while also acknowledging that his party needed to reconnect with voters.

The election marks a major breakthrough for the AfD, which has become increasingly powerful in Germany’s eastern states.

No far-right party has previously controlled a German state since the end of the Second World War.

Control of a state government would give the AfD significant influence over areas including policing, education and other regional policies.

Controversial policies

The AfD’s rise has been accompanied by fierce debate over its political programme.

Its proposals in Saxony-Anhalt include placing child refugees into separate classes and creating a task force aimed at identifying, detaining and deporting migrants who no longer have the legal right to remain in the state.

The party also supports a policy it calls “remigration”, a term that has become highly controversial in Germany. Critics associate the policy with large-scale deportations, while the AfD says it primarily concerns criminals and people who are living in Germany illegally.

Siegmund rejects the classification of his state branch as “right-wing extremist”, despite the assessment made by Germany’s domestic intelligence service.

Wider significance for Germany

The AfD’s success in Saxony-Anhalt is being viewed as a potentially important moment for German politics.

The party also won the largest share of the vote in Thuringia in 2024, although it was unable to secure sufficient parliamentary support to take control of the state government.

Nationally, the AfD has also been performing strongly in opinion polls, particularly in eastern Germany.

The party’s supporters argue that voters are turning towards it because of concerns over immigration, security, the economy and the direction of mainstream political parties.

Its opponents warn that bringing the AfD into government would represent a major departure from Germany’s post-war political consensus.

International reaction

The election result has also attracted attention outside Germany.

US President Donald Trump highlighted the projected result on social media, while Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev praised the AfD’s performance as a historic victory.

The AfD has previously received public support from senior figures in the US administration, including Vice-President JD Vance, while Russian officials have also expressed support for the party.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk took the opposite view, strongly criticising those who celebrated the AfD’s success.

For now, the immediate question is whether the AfD can turn its electoral victory into political power.

With no outright majority, the party will need support from elsewhere in the parliament. Talks could take days or weeks, and if an agreement cannot be reached, another election could ultimately become a possibility.

The result nevertheless represents a significant moment for Germany, placing the AfD closer than ever to governing at state level and intensifying the debate over whether the country’s political establishment can continue to isolate the far right.