{
  "id": 6014074,
  "title": "Landtagswahl: „Wir gehen hier durch die Decke“ - AfD feiert Rekordergebnis",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/landtagswahl-wir-gehen-hier-durch-die-decke-afd-feiert-rekordergebnis",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-06T18:07:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/landtagswahl-wir-gehen-hier-durch-die-decke-afd-feiert-rekordergebnis/100252392.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "After the Landtag election in Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD celebrates a record-breaking result on Sunday at 6 PM, with their blue bar reaching unprecedented heights in election graphics. The AfD predicts a more than 44% share, though it appears currently without a chance to form a sole government as previously aimed during the campaign. The AfD still refers to this as a sensation. Party leaders push for a government position; AfD chief Alice Weidel declares in her initial reaction on ZDF: \"We are going through the roof, we will go through the roof all over East Germany, even in the Bund.\" She speaks of a clear government mandate. Her co-chef Tino Chrupalla shares this view, stating: \"Ulrich Siegmund will be the new Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt.\" This is a \"sensational result.\" The AfD's top candidate had made it clear before the election that he only wanted to govern alone, with a campaign goal of \"45 percent plus X.\" At the election night, he spoke of reaching out to forces that wanted to change the country like the AfD. \"It doesn't always have to be a whole faction, maybe it's just individual deputies,\" he said on ntv. Speculation about defectors from the CDU arises, with just one to three deputies possibly needed for a majority. The CDU had made headlines earlier this election campaign for a local politician who donated 10,000 euros to the AfD and endorsed the party. Or an AfD minority government? The evening also brings the possibility of a minority government into play. Chrupalla openly favors this idea: \"A minority government can also be tolerated, that's also an option without a coalition having formed,\" he said on ZDF. Siegmund emphasizes he wants no concessions, as Siegmund stated on ZDF. Regardless of the outcome, the AfD has already won: best result since the party's founding 13 years ago, with a clear majority over the CDU. \"We have halved the CDU, so it's a great evening,\" he says at the election night in Magdeburg, looking out at a scene where CDU chief Friedrich Merz once stated that the AfD could be halved. The AfD could become a laboratory for the Federal Republic, and for the party, the start of a new count-down. With 13 years since its founding, it would gain genuine shaping power, influencing areas such as police, schools, culture, personnel, funding policies, and public administration, potentially becoming a model for other AfD state associations. It would also create a reservoir of government experience for the party, currently lacking. Furthermore, it would be present at the federal level in the Bundesrat and conferences of minister presidents and state ministers, where federal system decisions are made. AfD chief Alice Weidel assumes a normalization of her party's power through initial government responsibility. Society will adapt to it, and potential voters in other states or the Bund may lose their reservations - according to her calculations. The flip side of power: In government responsibility, all parties face limits of shaping power within the federal constitutional state with the division of powers. Basic law, state constitution, and courts set the framework, along with the government work with which the AfD has no experience. The party had built up self-imposed pressure for the case of resistances and obstacles. Weidel had already predicted \"expected government sabotage\" and explained that other parties would \"only throw a stick between the party's legs.\" While this could strengthen support among potential voters, it could also happen that voters turn away again because expectations are not met - with consequences for the AfD's ambitions for federal AfD and Weidel, who currently stands at 27 to 29 percent in the polls and hopes for a breakthrough in the next Bundestag election. Siegmund has been in the spotlight in recent months with numerous public appearances and social media contributions, treated like a pop star by supporters who lined up for selfies and autographs. Publicly, there is no indication that the 35-year-old Siegmund is aiming for a higher position in the AfD. However, the sole AfD Minister President position would give him more weight in the party long-term. The current leadership duo Weidel and Chrupalla were confirmed for another two years at the beginning of July. In 2028, a year before the next regular Bundestag election, the AfD's top will be determined turnus-gemäß.",
  "summary": "Die AfD räumt bei der Landtagswahl in Sachsen-Anhalt ab. Trotz knapper Zahlen gibt die Parteispitze schnell die Linie vor: Es soll regiert werden.",
  "key_points": [
    "AfD celebrates record-breaking 44%+ share in Saxony-Anhalt Landtag election",
    "Alice Weidel declares \"We are going through the roof,\" aiming for government position",
    "Speculation of CDU deputies joining AfD for potential minority government"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}