AfD leads in German state election; majority uncertain

In a major regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, a former communist state in eastern Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party claimed a landslide victory, marking a significant political shift. The party, led by 35-year-old Ulrich Siegmund, secured 44% of the vote, more than doubling its support. This result came as a stinging rebuke to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as the AfD was close to achieving an absolute majority needed to govern alone. However, they fell short of this goal, obtaining just under half of the parliamentary seats.

The CDU, the party led by Merz, had hoped to form a coalition government, but even with support from the centre-left SPD, Greens, and far-left Die Linke, they would still lack a majority. The AfD may now seek the support of the small pro-Russian BSW party, which is tough on immigration and is expected to secure five percent of the vote. If the BSW were to join the AfD, they would have a strong chance of forming a state government, which would be unprecedented in Germany.

The AfD's victory has drawn criticism from various quarters. Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews, expressed concern about the emergence of a far-right government. Thousands of AfD opponents rallied in Magdeburg, Germany's regional capital, chanting "life is better without Nazis." The AfD's success has also generated concern among Jewish communities, with demonstrators fearing a change in atmosphere and a rise in far-right sympathizers.

The AfD's success can be attributed to a combination of nostalgia for communist East Germany and resentment over the wealth gap between the east and west of the country, which has persisted since the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall. Party leader Siegmund has expressed ambitions to lead a political revolution from Saxony-Anhalt, propelling the party to national victory in 2029.

His campaign promises include a "remigration and deportation offensive" targeting irregular migrants, replacing LGBTQ pride flags in public schools with the German standard, and a lessened emphasis on the Third Reich in history teaching. German economic experts have warned that the AfD's immigration policy could be "ruinous" for Saxony-Anhalt, which heavily relies on foreign-born workers.