German region votes in election that could bring 1st far-right state government to power

MAGDEBURG, Germany — Residents of eastern Germany were casting their ballots Sunday in a crucial election that could usher in the nation's first far-right government since World War II. The vote for Saxony-Anhalt's state legislature, a region of 2.1 million inhabitants west of Berlin, has garnered significant attention as it presents the most promising opportunity for the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to secure a governor's position.

This would be the AfD's most significant achievement in its 13-year existence, at a time when the populace is increasingly dissatisfied with the unpopular national government's failure to revive the country's stagnant economy. The victory would undoubtedly deal a symbolic blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose center-right party has governed Saxony-Anhalt for 24 years.

AfD is the largest opposition party in Germany's national parliament and enjoys strong support in the historically impoverished and communist eastern regions, including Saxony-Anhalt. The party's gubernatorial candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, boldly declares, "we will write history here."