The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has won the regional election in Saxony-Anhalt but fell short of gaining a majority to form a government since World War II. The AfD's candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, claimed victory, saying "We have written history" and that the party has a clear mandate to govern. The election result is seen as a significant setback for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose personal approval rating has sunk to historic lows. 87% of voters in Saxony-Anhalt were unhappy with the federal government, according to a poll by ARD broadcaster.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
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.
Far-right AfD wins German state election but falls short of majority
No far-right party has taken power at the state level since the Second World War
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to a resounding victory in a regional election on Sunday but fell a little short of winning a majority in its quest to form the country's first far-right state government since the Second World War.
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Alternative → win → War
The party of Germany's unpopular leader, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, slumped to a disastrous result in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
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party → slump → Anhalt
The anti-immigration and Russia-friendly AfD's candidate for governor said, "We have written history" and that the party has a clear mandate to govern.
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party → say → mandate
Ulrich Siegmund, 35, told public broadcaster ARD that voters had sent a signal that "things cannot carry on like this."
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things → tell → this
He said that "a very good campaigner for us in this election campaign was Friedrich Merz."
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campaigner → say → campaign
The AfD is already Germany's most popular party at the national level and is seeking to secure a foothold for advancing its agenda, which includes heavy restrictions on immigration, restoring ties with Russia, cutting support to Ukraine and quitting the euro.
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which → seek → euro
Jubilant celebrations broke out at the party's election night gathering in the city of Magdeburg, where people waved German flags and hugged each other in triumph.
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people → break → triumph
U.S. President Donald Trump posted a screenshot of the result without comment on his Truth Social site, while far-right leaders in other European countries cheered the election as a mandate for change.
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leaders → post → change
The result marks a significant setback for Merz, whose personal approval rating has sunk to historic lows as voters turn away from both his planned reforms to revive Germany's sluggish economy and his gaffe-prone personal communication style.
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voters → mark → economy
A poll from the ARD broadcaster showed 87 per cent of the state's voters were unhappy with the federal government.
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cent → show → government
Siegmund has described Merz as the AfD's best campaigner, given his unpopularity in the state.
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Siegmund → describe → state
"This election result is, above all, a vote of no confidence in the federal government," Marcel Fratzscher, the president of the German Institute for Economic Research, told Reuters.
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Fratzscher → tell → Reuters
Merz, who leads the centre-right Christian Democratic Union, has vowed to revive Europe's largest economy with business-friendly reforms and increased spending while warning that an AfD win in Saxony-Anhalt would damage the state and deter foreign companies from investing there.
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win → lead → companies
Germany's mainstream parties have all refused to work with the AfD, which has been classified as right-wing extremist by the local office of Germany's domestic intelligence service.
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which → refuse → service
One outlier is the small Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance party (BSW), which looked set to clear the threshold to enter parliament.
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which → set → parliament
The BSW has floated the idea of rule for Saxony-Anhalt by a non-partisan state premier relying on shifting majorities, including with votes from the AfD.
Siegmund, however, rejected the BSW's idea as a "mess" and ruled out any arrangements with other parties that would prevent the AfD from delivering on his promise of change.
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that → float → change
"If push comes to shove, there will simply be new elections," he said.
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he → come → shove
Merz's conservatives said they would explore talks with other parties, although that could require pulling together parties with vastly different policy agendas.
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that → say → agendas
In the neighbouring eastern German state of Thuringia, the conservatives run a minority government with passive tolerance from the Left party.
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conservatives → neighbour → party
Although Saxony-Anhalt, formerly part of communist-run East Germany, is one of the smaller German states with a population of just over two million, the result underlines the rapid advance of the AfD since it was created in 2013.
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it → run → 2013
The AfD is now Germany's most popular party nationally, polling at 28 per cent, according to a recent INSA poll — putting it comfortably ahead of the conservatives with 20 per cent.
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AfD → poll → cent
While hard-right parties have gained ground elsewhere in Europe, Germany's Nazi past has contributed to a reluctance among mainstream parties to co-operate with the AfD.
The AfD has dismissed accusations of extremism as scaremongering and an insult to the party's millions of supporters.
During the campaign, the AfD tapped into growing disillusionment with established parties, which it characterizes as tired and out of touch, offering instead a range of hardline policies and a nostalgic vision of a return to cleaner and safer streets and taking pride in being German.
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it → gain → pride
"It is clear that we need change in Germany and in western Europe.
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we → need → Europe
And I believe a starting signal is definitely going out from here — whether you like it or not," said Antony Lee, an attendee at the AfD's election party.
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Lee → believe → party
"I am a father, I am an entrepreneur, and I know that things cannot continue like this in Germany."
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things → know → Germany
The AfD's program includes plans to push schools and cultural institutions toward what it views as more traditional values, while curbing immigration and overhauling public broadcasting.
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it → include → broadcasting
It wants the children of refugees to be taught in segregated classes.
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children → want → classes
It has called for rainbow flags in schools to be banned and for the German national flag to be hoisted every day.
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flag → call → schools
The national anthem would be sung by students and staff at school celebrations.
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anthem → sing → celebrations
Other proposals include citizen patrols, more teaching of Russian in schools and a halt to building new wind farms.
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proposals → include → farms
