{
  "id": 5713692,
  "title": "Landtagswahl: Tausende zu Kundgebungen vor Wahl in Sachsen-Anhalt erwartet",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/landtagswahl-tausende-zu-kundgebungen-vor-wahl-in-sachsen-anhalt",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-05T04:07:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/landtagswahl-tausende-zu-kundgebungen-vor-wahl-in-sachsen-anhalt-erwartet/100252235.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "On the weekend of voting, thousands are expected in Sachsen-Anhalt for demonstrations and rallies. Police reported a dozen events in the state capital Magdeburg and several rallies for democracy in Halle (Saale). The largest was expected to take place this afternoon on Magdeburg's Domplatz, with around 8,000 participants from a coalition of trade unions and civil society. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), leading in polls ahead of the CDU and aiming for a government alone, is expected to become the strongest force in the Landtag elections on Sunday. It is likely to win the most seats, though it is unclear if the victory would be decisive enough for the party to form a government for the first time since World War II. The question remains how difficult it will be to form a government. The AfD, with front-runner Ulrich Siegmund in recent polls, had the highest support at 41% in a survey by Forschungsgruppe Wahlen. The CDU, currently governing Magdeburg since 24 years with Sven Schulze as the candidate, was second with 23%. The Left remained third with 11.5%. The Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens also had enough votes to enter parliament, at 8.5% and 6% respectively. The Free Democrats (FDP) are expected to fall short of the five-percent threshold to enter the Landtag, but about a quarter of respondents were still unsure about their vote. If the AfD secures an absolute majority, they could govern alone. However, the latest polls suggest this is unlikely. The AfD would need allies, and such a scenario, though probable according to recent surveys, is uncertain. A repeat of the previous coalition of CDU, SPD, and FDP seems unlikely. Schulze's hope for a majority of the \"middle parties\" such as CDU, SPD, and Greens appears unlikely. The most probable scenario is that neither an absolute majority for the AfD nor a majority beyond the AfD without the Left will exist. For Schulze's desired scenario of a majority for the so-called \"center parties,\" the odds are not in his favor. Currently, it seems unlikely that either an absolute majority for the AfD or a majority beyond the AfD without the Left will exist. How a government formation would look under these circumstances remains to be seen. The current government would temporarily remain in charge. Political analysts do not expect a surprise like in 2021. Matthias Jung, the head of Forschungsgruppe Wahlen, told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur that they do not expect the massive mobilization effort in the last days seen in 2021. \"This time, the AfD opponents are divided among various parties,\" he noted.",
  "summary": "Viele Menschen sind noch unentschlossen, wem sie am Sonntag ihre Stimme geben sollen. Zahlreiche Bündnisse haben Demonstrationen angekündigt. Nicht nur sie rechnen mit einem starken AfD-Ergebnis.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Handelsblatt",
        "title": "Sachsen-Anhalt: Das könnte eine AfD-Regierung mit absoluter Mehrheit tun",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/sachsen-anhalt-das-konnte-eine-afd-regierung-mit-absoluter-mehrheit",
        "published": "2026-09-02T10:18:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}