Germany: AfD leads in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Merz's CDU slumps to 7%

In Saxony-Anhalt, Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party achieved a landslide victory, capturing 43.8% of the vote and securing 39 out of 83 parliamentary seats. This result marks a significant shift in the political landscape, nearly doubling the party's previous support and leaving it just short of an outright majority.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) saw its support plummet to 17.2%, winning only 15 seats, a sharp decline from its previous 24 years of control. The center-left Social Democrats and the Greens also suffered substantial losses, securing 9.3% and 8.9% of the vote, respectively. The Left Party and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) maintained their support, with 8.6% and 5% of the vote, respectively.

The AfD's rise has sparked debate over whether the party could potentially take control of a state government for the first time since the end of Nazi rule in 1945. Most German parties have maintained a "firewall," refusing to cooperate with the AfD in forming governments, making the formation of a government extremely complex. The BSW, however, has indicated that it could cooperate with the AfD on specific issues, though it prefers an outside candidate for state premier.

AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund, who will lead the state government, has stated that if necessary, new elections would be held to achieve a majority. This victory reflects widespread frustration with Chancellor Merz's government, with 87% of Saxony-Anhalt residents dissatisfied with the national government. Despite the AfD's success, the CDU remains opposed to cooperation with the party, deeming it a far-right organization with pro-Russian views and a desire to leave the euro currency system.