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· collected 2026-09-06 · by Vijaya Srivastava
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is competing in a closely watched state election in Saxony-Anhalt, where around 1.7 million voters are casting ballots on Sunday. Recent polls indicate the AfD could secure over 40% of the vote, with lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund declaring "the rise can no longer be stopped." The election is being seen as a test of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's strategy to counter the AfD by taking a tougher stance on migration and security. A historic win for the AfD could allow it to govern without relying on another party, but securing an outright majority remains uncertain in Germany's proportional electoral system.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In a closely watched regional election, Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is poised to gain power in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. The AfD is expected to secure at least 44% of the vote, more than double its showing five years ago, according to exit polls. This would give the party a significant majority and potentially mark the first time a far-right party has held state-level power in Germany since World War II.
The AfD's rise to prominence is seen as a threat to mainstream parties, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is currently leading the state. The party's success is attributed to its promise to restrict immigration and restore ties with Russia, as well as its charismatic leader, Ulrich Siegmund.
A victory for the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt would be a significant milestone for the party, which has been gaining momentum in recent years. It could also have broader implications for German politics, potentially leading to a shift towards a harder line on immigration and European integration.
Experts warn that an AfD government could lead to significant changes in areas such as education and foreign policy, including creating separate classrooms for refugees and promoting a patriotism agenda that focuses less on the country's Nazi past. The party has also been accused of adopting tactics inspired by President Trump, including casting doubt on the integrity of absentee voting.
The outcome of the election is still uncertain, but it is clear that the AfD's rise to power would be a historic event with significant implications for Germany and Europe.
Written for “Far-Right Party's Rise in Germany” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 41 other(s) covering the same event.
Voting began in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday in a closely watched state election that could see Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) make history by becoming the first far-right party to take power at state level since World War Two, with the party's 35-year-old lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund declaring its rise "can no longer be stopped".
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rise → begin → War
Around 1.7 million voters in the eastern German state have until 6pm (1600 GMT) to cast their ballots, with initial results expected soon after polls close.
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polls → have → ballots
The election is being closely watched as a test of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's strategy of countering the AfD by adopting a tougher stance on migration and security.
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election → watch → migration
Recent polls have put the AfD at just over 40%, well ahead of Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU), who are on around 23%.
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who → put → %
The result could determine whether the AfD merely emerges as the strongest party or secures the outright majority it needs to break through the political firewall that has kept it out of government.
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that → determine → government
AfD targets outright majority
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AfD → target → majority
Speaking at the party's final rally in Magdeburg on Saturday evening, Siegmund said the AfD had already achieved a historic breakthrough, regardless of Sunday's result.
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AfD → speak → result
"No matter the outcome of tomorrow's election, we have already made history," said Siegmund.
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Siegmund → make → history
"Because what we have started here in Saxony-Anhalt — that is currently sweeping across all of Germany — can no longer be stopped," he told the crowd.
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he → start → crowd
The AfD has spent months leading the polls in Saxony-Anhalt and is hoping to secure 45% or more of the vote.
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AfD → spend → vote
Siegmund has ruled out entering a coalition with mainstream parties, arguing that those parties have driven Germany into the ground over the past three decades.
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parties → rule → decades
An outright majority would be a major breakthrough for the AfD, allowing it to govern without relying on another party and bypass the longstanding "firewall" under which mainstream parties refuse to cooperate with it.
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parties → allow → it
Such a result, however, remains difficult in Germany's proportional electoral system, which is designed to encourage coalition governments and make it harder for a single party to govern alone.
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party → remain → governments
Coalition arithmetic could decide who governs
If the AfD falls short of a majority, the CDU is expected to have the best chance of forming the next administration under incumbent state premier Sven Schulze.
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CDU → decide → Schulze
But the composition of any government could depend heavily on which smaller parties manage to cross Germany's 5% threshold.
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parties → depend → threshold
The Free Democratic Party, currently a coalition partner of the CDU at the federal level, is polling below the threshold, while the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is struggling to reach 10%.
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Party → poll → %
The far-left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), meanwhile, is also expected to miss out despite being the only party that has not ruled out working with the AfD.
Schulze remains the voters' preferred choice for state premier in opinion polls.
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Schulze → expect → polls
A CDU alliance with the SPD and Greens, however, may not secure enough seats for a majority.
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alliance → secure → majority
The CDU has also ruled out cooperation with the Left Party.
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CDU → rule → Party
One possibility could therefore be a minority government led by Schulze, relying on the Left's passive support, similar to an arrangement used in neighbouring Thuringia.
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possibility → lead → Thuringia
Weeks of coalition negotiations could follow if no party secures enough seats to govern alone.
A test for Merz and a step towards 2029
The election has implications beyond Saxony-Anhalt.
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election → follow → Anhalt
For the AfD, a strong performance would reinforce its claim that it is no longer a protest force confined to Germany's eastern states and would provide momentum ahead of the next federal election, scheduled for 2029.
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it → reinforce → 2029
The party has been classified as "far-right extremist" by the state security service.
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party → classify → service
Without an outright majority, however, its ability to translate its electoral strength into government would remain constrained by the political firewall.
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ability → translate → firewall
If it does take power, the AfD has said it would push schools and cultural institutions towards more traditional values, marginalise immigrants and carry out sweeping reforms of Germany's public broadcasting system.
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it → take → system
Siegmund arrived to cast his vote in his hometown of Tangermuende on a blue Simson moped, drawing crowds of enthusiastic supporters, as voters began deciding whether the AfD's claim that its rise "can no longer be stopped" would become a political reality.
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rise → arrive → supporters
