Saxony-Anhalt: Preliminary official results show AfD tops vote
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won the Saxony-Anhalt state election but failed to secure an absolute majority in the state parliament. Follow DW.
On September 6, Saxony-Anhalt, a state in Germany, held an election. Preliminary official results released on September 7 showed the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party emerged as the largest, but failed to secure a governing majority in the state parliament. The AfD's lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, stated his party's result was a clear mandate to govern, though he saw no potential coalition partners at the moment.
AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla confirmed Siegmund would run for state premier if a government was not formed. If efforts to form a government failed, Siegmund hinted at the possibility of new elections. In a worst-case scenario, a new election could result in a 50% or 55% outcome. The only coalition with a numerical majority without the AfD would be an alliance of other parties, but the center-right CDU strictly opposes coalitions with the AfD or the Left Party.
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) could potentially hold the balance of power with five seats, but they have ruled out supporting the CDU. Following the election, the previously governing CDU, SPD, and FDP coalition will end, but state premier Sven Schulze and his Cabinet will maintain a caretaker role until a new state premier is elected.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right CDU faces criticism after coming away empty-handed in individual constituencies, as the party did not win a single direct mandate in the state election. The AfD's success has raised questions about the future of the political firewall, an effort by established parties to prevent the AfD from gaining influence through cooperation or shared votes.
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