AfD nears first far-right victory in Germany since World War II as Saxony-Anhalt votes

On Sunday, voting commenced in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, a pivotal election that could mark the first far-right party victory at a state level since World War Two. Leading the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is 35-year-old Ulrich Siegmund, who has been polling ahead for months. The AfD may achieve an absolute majority on Sunday evening if several smaller parties fail to clear Germany's 5% threshold for parliamentary entry.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sought to reduce the AfD's popularity through tougher stances on migration and security. Approximately 1.7 million voters have until 6 p.m. to cast their ballots, with initial results expected shortly thereafter. State officials will unveil turnout estimates at noon. Recent polls have the AfD at just over 40%, followed by Chancellor Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU) at 23%.

An absolute majority would enable the AfD to bypass mainstream parties' efforts to prevent their inclusion in power, a tactic known as the "firewall" policy. Should the AfD fail to achieve an outright majority, a CDU-led administration under incumbent state premier Sven Schulze is the most likely outcome. For the AfD, the Saxony-Anhalt election serves as a stepping stone towards its objective of attaining national power in the 2029 federal election.

Regardless of Sunday's election result, Siegmund declared, "Because what we have started here in Saxony-Anhalt – that is currently sweeping across all of Germany – can no longer be stopped."