Exit polls suggest that Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has won the most votes in the regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, with projections showing they could secure 44.1-44.5% of the vote. This would be a significant increase from their 20.8% share in the 2021 election and marks the first time a far-right party may take control of a state government in postwar Germany. The AfD's candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, has campaigned on radical policies including mass deportations of migrants. President Trump even weighed in on the election, posting a screenshot of an exit poll result on Sunday evening.
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.
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Leaning score withheld for article 5936: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-07
German exit polls suggest far-right party has big lead in regional election
BERLIN —
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party → suggest → election
Germany's far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland, or Alternative for Germany, (AfD) has won the most votes in the closely watched regional election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt according to exit polls.
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Alternative → win → polls
Projections show the party is comfortably ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), but it remains unclear whether the AfD will win enough seats to secure a majority in the state parliament.
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AfD → show → parliament
According to exit polls released on Sunday by German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF the AfD is on course to win a record 44.1% to 44.5% of the vote.
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AfD → accord → vote
The Christian Democratic Union is projected to take 18.5%.
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Union → project → %
The AfD won 20.8% in the 2021 regional election.
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AfD → win → election
If the projections are accurate, the CDU has halved its share of voters while the AfD doubled theirs.
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AfD → halve → theirs
If the AfD succeeds in forming a government, it would mark the first time in Germany's postwar history that the far-right has taken control of a state government.
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right → succeed → government
The party's anti-establishment appeal is no longer confined to eastern Germany; at the federal level, the party is also polling first.
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party → confine → level
A win in Saxony-Anhalt would be a major breakthrough for a party that has been classified as right-wing extremist by domestic intelligence authorities in several German states.
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that → classify → states
Speaking to public broadcaster ZDF, AfD federal leader Alice Weidel said Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives will never win another election.
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conservatives → speak → election
"We are seeing explosive growth here," she said, referring to Saxony-Anhalt.
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she → see → Anhalt
"We are going to see explosive growth across all of East Germany — and at the federal level, too."
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We → go → level
In his videos, he is dressed in a flawlessly ironed white polo shirt or starched white dress shirt — the uniform of Germany's newly professionalized far-right.
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he → dress → right
His carefully coiffed side parting is as immaculate as his smile, something that distinguishes him from the rest of his party, whose members tend to grimace rather than grin.
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members → coif → party
But Siegmund's broad smile rarely cracks, even when he speaks about the party's biggest issue, immigration and the mass deportation of migrants.
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he → crack → migrants
Siegmund has campaigned for mass deportations and changes to migration and education policy.
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Siegmund → campaign → policy
The AfD has also called for changes to the region's public broadcaster and closer relations with Russia and the MAGA movement in the United States.
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AfD → call → States
After the result, Siegmund declared: "We have made history in this country."
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We → declare → country
"This isn't just about Saxony-Anhalt," he told supporters, "It's a signal for the whole of Germany - a self-confident signal."
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It → tell → Germany
On Sunday evening, President Trump posted a screenshot of the projected election results on Truth Social.
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Trump → post → Social
Trump's post was retweeted by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who described the result as a "historic win."
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who → retweete → win
The AfD has called for an end to support for Ukraine and seeking to revoke the refugee protections currently granted to Ukrainians.
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AfD → call → Ukrainians
Elon Musk also tweeted his congratulations.
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Musk → tweet → congratulations
In response, Ulrich Siegmund thanked Musk for his "support" and "clear and highly important perspective on the political developments of our time.
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Siegmund → thank → time
But neighboring Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk took a very different view,
posting on X that "In Poland, only idiots or traitors can rejoice at the triumph of the AfD in Germany."
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idiots → neighbor → Germany
France's Europe Minister, Benjamin Haddad described the election results as a "grave moment in Europe."
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Minister → describe → Europe
