German exit polls suggest far-right party has big lead in regional election

Magdeburg, Germany (AP) — According to exit polls conducted on Sunday following a regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is leading the race, but it remains uncertain whether the party will manage to form the first far-right state government since World War II. AfD entered the voting race with the aim of securing an absolute majority in the state legislature, thereby breaking the so-called "firewall" that prevents them from governing independently with mainstream parties.

Achieving such a feat would represent a significant milestone in AfD's 13-year history and could deal a blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose center-right party has held the reins in Saxony-Anhalt for 24 years.

The polls from ARD and ZDF public television indicated that AfD secured roughly 44% of the votes, more than double its performance five years ago in the region of 2.1 million inhabitants, located west of Berlin. This was a sharp contrast to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), currently led by Merz, which polled 18.5% and saw a significant loss of support.

The Left Party secured around 9% of the vote, while the center-left Social Democrats and Greens were projected to hold around 8%-9% each. The BSW party's chances of reaching the 5% threshold required for securing seats remained unclear.

AfD leader, Ulrich Siegmund, a 35-year-old charismatic candidate for state governor, claimed that his party had "written history," expressing that voters had sent a message that "things cannot continue as they are." Siegmund also credited Merz for being a "very good campaigner" for AfD. Franziska Hoppermann, the national general secretary of Merz's CDU, acknowledged that it was "a very difficult result for us."

AfD is the largest opposition party in Germany's national parliament, with a strong presence in the formerly communist and less prosperous eastern regions, where Saxony-Anhalt is situated.