AfD could take power in German state for first time
Joerg Urban, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the state of Saxony, speaks to voters at an AfD campaign rally prior to state elections in Saxony-Anhalt on Aug. 24, 2026 in Naumburg, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Germany is preparing for the possibility that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) could lead a state government for the first time, as the party holds a wide polling lead ahead of the Sept. 6 election in Saxony-Anhalt.
About 1.7 million people are eligible to vote in the eastern state.
Recent polls put the AfD at between 41 and 43 percent, well ahead of the governing Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which stands at between 22 and 24 percent.
