Far-right AfD wins 43.8% in Saxony-Anhalt election, pressing CDU to break cooperation firewall

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9 days · 13 summary articles
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured a historic 43.8% of the vote in [Saxony-Anhalt’s](en.wikipedia.org) state election on Sunday, positioning it to potentially form the first far-right regional government in postwar Germany. The party won 39 of the 83 seats in the state legislature, falling short of an absolute majority but immediately pressing conservative lawmakers to break the longstanding “firewall” against cooperation with the AfD.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered its worst result in the state, plummeting to 17.2% and 15 seats, down from 37.1% in 2021. Merz called the outcome “seismic” and conceded it had shaken his party “to its very foundations,” though he ruled out resigning or collaborating with the AfD. “Giving up is not an option for me,” he told reporters, vowing to defend Western values and maintain support for Ukraine despite the AfD’s pro-Russia, anti-Ukraine platform .
AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla urged CDU lawmakers to abandon the firewall, framing it as undemocratic and calling for a “center-right conservative majority” in Saxony-Anhalt. The party’s state leader, Ulrich Siegmund, declared the result “sensational” and moved to form a government, though the only potential partner, the populist BSW party, has so far remained noncommittal .
The election triggered protests across Germany, with thousands demonstrating in Berlin and other cities against the AfD’s rise. The party’s manifesto, which includes mass deportations and reduced emphasis on Nazi-era education, has drawn international concern, including from Poland and France . Merz, whose approval ratings have hit record lows, faces mounting pressure ahead of further state elections, though CDU sources reported no immediate internal challenge to his leadership .
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