The far-right AfD won Sachsen-Anhalt’s state election with 43.8% of the vote, securing 39 seats but falling short of an absolute majority, according to reports from Tagesschau and dpa. The party now seeks a coalition with the BSW, which holds 5 seats, to form a government.
AfD co-fraction leader Ulrich Siegmund, 35, plans to run for state premier in December, expressing confidence he will win in the first ballot with a “nennenswerten Mehrheit” (notable majority). However, his path remains unclear, as CDU, SPD, Greens, and Linke have ruled out negotiations with the AfD. CDU faction leader Sven Schulze reiterated that no CDU lawmakers would support Siegmund, stating, “Es wird keiner von der CDU zur AfD in irgendeiner Form wechseln” (No one from the CDU will switch to the AfD in any form) .
The BSW has signaled openness to cooperation, agreeing to back the AfD’s candidate for state parliament president, Tobias Rausch, in Tuesday’s constituent session. The AfD, classified as “gesichert rechtsextremistisch” (confirmed far-right extremist) by Sachsen-Anhalt’s domestic intelligence agency, would need at least three additional votes to secure a majority in the 83-seat legislature .
Schulze confirmed the CDU’s shift to opposition after 24 years in government, ruling out coordination with the AfD or BSW on legislation. He warned that an AfD-BSW coalition would leave the AfD dependent on BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht’s directives .
