AfD leads Saxony-Anhalt election as government path remains uncertain
Early results put the far-right party on 44.5 per cent, well ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives.
Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has taken a commanding lead in Saxony-Anhalt’s state election, according to early results reported by France 24.
The AfD recorded 44.5 per cent of the vote, compared with 18.5 per cent for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives. The figures were based on an exit poll and had not been certified as final results.
The centre-left Social Democrats and the Greens reportedly cleared the threshold for parliamentary representation. The left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance could also enter parliament, although that remained uncertain.
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel described the result as historic and said it gave the party a mandate to govern. It was not immediately clear whether the AfD had enough support to govern alone.
If it cannot rule outright, government formation could become protracted. Mainstream parties have generally ruled out coalitions with the AfD under the so-called firewall policy, while Germany’s domestic intelligence service is investigating the party for right-wing extremism, according to the source.
The result also represents a setback for Merz’s authority as his coalition government faces difficulties reviving growth in Europe’s largest economy.
