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· collected 2026-09-07 · by Landon Mion
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is projected to win a significant victory in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, potentially forming its first state government since World War II. According to preliminary results, AfD's candidate Ulrich Siegmund said his party had "written history" and that voters were sending a message of discontent with the national government. This would be the largest victory in AfD's 13-year history, but it is unclear whether the party will achieve an absolute majority to govern on its own. The projected result is a significant blow to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union party, which has led Saxony-Anhalt for 24 years.
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.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but every quote it verified points right, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 6510: score contradicts its own evidence · logged 2026-09-07
The far-right party Alternative for Germany, or AfD, was projected to win a strong victory in a regional election on Sunday, in a major blow to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right party, the Christian Democratic Union.
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party → project → party
Merz's party was projected to be hit with a disastrous result in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
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party → project → Anhalt
AfD had sought to form the country’s first far-right state government since the end of World War II in 1945, although it was not immediately clear whether it would be able to fulfill that ambition.
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it → seek → ambition
Ulrich Siegmund, AfD's anti-migration candidate for governor, said that "we have written history."
Siegmund, 35, told public broadcaster ARD that voters had sent a message that "things cannot carry on like this," adding that it was "also a signal toward Berlin."
"A very good campaigner for us in this election campaign was Friedrich Merz.
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campaigner → say → campaign
Every day this man is in the chancellery is one too many," he said of Germany's unpopular leader.
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he → say → leader
The election comes amid widespread public discontent with the national government, which has yet to convince many voters it can get the country's sluggish economy back on track.
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it → come → track
AfD aimed for an absolute majority in the state legislature to govern on its own and overcome the so-called firewall of mainstream parties’ refusal to work with it.
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AfD → aim → it
But it was unclear long after polls closed whether that goal would become reality.
uncertain
goal → close → ?
It wants to leave the euro; that would be economic downfall ...
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that → want → euro
it works closely together with Russia, it wants a completely different social model," said Franziska Hoppermann, the national general-secretary of Merz's party.
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Hoppermann → work → party
"We will not work with them.
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We → work → them
"
Achieving its first state government would be the biggest victory in the anti-migration party’s 13-year history.
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Achieving → achieve → history
Regardless of whether AfD forms its own government, the projected result is still a blow to Merz, whose center-right party has led Saxony-Anhalt for 24 years.
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party → form → years
Unlike several other European countries, modern Germany has not had a far-right or right-wing populist party leading a national, state or major-city government.
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Germany → have → government
AfD is the largest opposition party in Germany’s national parliament and is strongest in the formerly communist and less prosperous east, where Saxony-Anhalt sits.
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Anhalt → sit → east
Its regional branch in Saxony-Anhalt is one of several classified as a confirmed right-wing extremist group by the domestic intelligence agency, which cites members' disparagement of migrants from Muslim countries among other things.
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which → classify → things
The party promotes "remigration," which pushes for the deportation of immigrants.
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which → promote → immigrants
Siegmund has said his top priorities include "a deportation offensive" and ending incentives for people to come to Germany and "exploit our social system."
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people → say → system
He also wants to initiate a process to pull Saxony-Anhalt from the regional public broadcaster over allegations of "disinformation."
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He → want → disinformation
Germany’s 16 states have extensive powers, including overseeing security matters and running the education system.
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states → have → system
An AfD leader in a neighboring state appealed two convictions for knowingly using a Nazi slogan.
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leader → neighbor → slogan
The party has pushed back on accusations of extremism as politically motivated.
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party → push → extremism
Projections for ARD and ZDF public television, based on exit polls and partial counting, have AfD at just over 44% of the vote, more than double its showing five years ago in the region of 2.1 million people west of Berlin.
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Projections → base → Berlin
Merz's Christian Democratic Union was significantly behind, polling 18% and losing about half its support.
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Union → poll → support
The Left Party, the center-left Social Democrats and Greens were seen polling around 9% each.
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Party → see → %
It was unclear whether the BSW party would reach the 5% of the vote needed to win seats.
uncertain
party → reach → seats
The projections put AfD at least marginally short of an absolute majority for now, but that could change.
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that → put → majority
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Press → contribute → report
