Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany won a record victory in Sunday’s election in Saxony-Anhalt but fell short of the majority it needed to govern alone, leaving the eastern state facing potentially lengthy negotiations over its next government.
The AfD won 43.8% of the vote, more than doubling its 20.8% showing in the 2021 election and marking its strongest performance in any German state election. It won 39 of the 83 seats in the state parliament in Magdeburg, three short of the 42 needed for an outright majority, according to preliminary official results after all ballots were counted.
The result was a major setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his center-right Christian Democratic Union, which has governed Saxony-Anhalt for 24 years. The CDU won just 17.2%, its worst result in the state and less than half of the 40 seats it secured in 2021.
The outcome also fell short of the AfD’s goal of securing enough seats to form Germany’s first far-right state government since World War II. Mainstream parties have ruled out forming coalitions with the AfD, meaning the party’s victory does not automatically translate into control of the state government.
"We have achieved exactly what we set out to achieve. We have made history in this country," AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund told public broadcaster ARD.
