Far-right AfD wins German state election: ‘This is democracy’

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has won a significant victory in the state election of Saxony-Anhalt, according to exit polls. The party secured 44.5 per cent of the vote, as reported by the National Post. This result marks the party's best-ever performance and establishes it as a dominant force in the eastern German state, as noted by Live Mint.

The outcome represents a major breakthrough for AfD and a setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU, according to Live Mint. However, it remains unclear whether AfD can form an absolute majority to govern on its own, as reported by the Toronto Sun and CBC News. If AfD achieves an absolute majority, it would overcome the "firewall" of mainstream parties' refusal to work with the far-right party, as mentioned by PBS NewsHour.

The result has been described as a significant development in German politics, with implications for the country's future. The Toronto Sun noted that the election took place in the ex-communist east, and CBC News highlighted that this could lead to the country's first far-right state government since the Second World War.

Brief written by urgent.news from National Post, Toronto Sun, Live Mint, CBC News, PBS NewsHour — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.