Germany's far-right AfD clear frontrunner in eastern state vote

German voters went to the polls on Sunday for a regional election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to win easily, with some polls showing it leading with over 40% support. According to Malay Mail, the AfD's top candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, has predicted gaining an absolute majority.

The centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) currently leads the state government in coalition with two smaller parties. However, all other major parties have ruled out allying with the AfD, which is categorised as "right-wing extremist" by Germany's domestic intelligence agency, as per Malay Mail. If the AfD wins an outright majority, it would be a significant breakthrough for the party.

Around 1.7 million voters in Saxony-Anhalt were eligible to cast their ballots, with polls open from 8am to 6pm local time, as reported by Malay Mail. The outcome of the election is being closely watched in Berlin and beyond, with implications for German politics.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, RFI English, Malay Mail, The Local Germany, DW News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.