BERLIN: Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) scored a historic victory in Sunday’s election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, exit polls showed, marking the party’s first win in a German state election.
Initial projections put the AfD at just over 40 per cent, substantially ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union, which was projected at around 23pc.
The result represents the AfD’s most significant electoral breakthrough to date and is likely to increase pressure on Germany’s mainstream parties over their longstanding refusal to enter coalitions with the party.
Despite finishing first, the AfD could still struggle to form a government. Other major parties have maintained their political “firewall” against cooperating with it, potentially allowing rival parties to attempt to construct a governing coalition without the election winner.
The result is also a significant setback for Merz and his governing coalition, demonstrating the AfD’s continued expansion beyond its already strong base in eastern Germany.
Immigration, economic pressures, energy policy and dissatisfaction with the federal government featured heavily in the campaign.
A first AfD-led state government would represent another major shift in Germany’s postwar political landscape and intensify debate over how established parties should respond to the far right’s growing electoral strength.