The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 39 seats in Sunday's Saxony-Anhalt state election, three seats short of an absolute majority. The party will attempt coalition talks, but both the CDU and left-wing parties have ruled out cooperation, leaving a complex political deadlock, according to The Zioneer.
Exit polls on Sunday evening projected the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at approximately 44% in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, with final results giving the party 39 seats in the state parliament — three short of an absolute majority. The result, more than double the CDU's 18.5%, marks the first time since World War II that a far-right party is set to lead a German state government.
AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund said late Sunday that the party would enter talks with any faction open to forming a coalition, adding that it would not 'compromise on our values just to govern'. However, both the CDU of Chancellor Friedrich Merz and left-wing parties have ruled out cooperation with the AfD, while the CDU also ruled out governing with the left. The fragmented outcome leaves Saxony-Anhalt facing a complex political process.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Sunday, the election was preceded by months of rising support for the AfD in eastern Germany, and a high turnout of 54.4% by 14:00 local time — double the turnout at the same hour in 2021. The result places Chancellor Merz under renewed pressure from the right flank of German politics.
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