Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has scored a historic election victory in Saxony-Anhalt, raising concerns among African migrants as a party campaigning for tougher deportations moves closer to governing a German state for the first time.
The AfD won nearly 44% of the vote in the September 6 election, securing 39 of the state parliament’s 83 seats. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) finished second with about 18%.
Merz described the result as a major setback for his CDU, saying it had shaken the party “to its very foundations” and that “we are all deeply shocked”. However, he ruled out any cooperation with the AfD and dismissed suggestions that he should resign.
The election result does not immediately alter Germany’s immigration laws, which are largely set at federal level.
However, the AfD’s surge has heightened concerns among Africans living in Germany over immigration policy, racism and their long-term future in the country.
