Archive · 7 Sep 2026
AfD Wins Historic Saxony-Anhalt Vote, Falls Short Majority
People in Saxony-Anhalt voted for their state parliament on September 6, 2026.
The AfD, a far-right and anti-immigration party, was projected to win the most votes.
It received about 44%, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU received roughly 17% to 19%.
The AfD appeared to win 39 of the parliament’s 83 seats, which was not enough to govern alone.
Most established parties say they will not form a coalition with the AfD.
This means the CDU may try to lead a coalition or minority government.
AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund said the result showed voters wanted major change.
The election matters nationally because no far-right party has governed a German state since World War II.
Exit polls projected the AfD at about 44%, more than double the CDU’s roughly 17.4%-18.5%.
The AfD was projected to win 39 of 83 seats, three short of an outright majority.
Lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund called the result historic and said voters had sent a message to Berlin.
Mainstream parties maintained a firewall against cooperation with the AfD, leaving its path to government uncertain.
A CDU-led coalition or minority government under incumbent premier Sven Schulze could follow after coalition talks.
- Who
- Voters in Saxony-Anhalt; the AfD and its lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund; the CDU and incumbent premier Sven Schulze; and other state parties.
- What
- A regional parliamentary election in which the AfD was projected to win a historic plurality but fall short of an outright majority.
- When
- Sunday, September 6, 2026; polls were open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time, with projections released afterward.
- Where
- Saxony-Anhalt, eastern Germany, including the state capital Magdeburg.
- Why
- The election determines the state government and is being watched as a test of support for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, migration policies, and the AfD’s wider political ambitions.
AfD’s Push for Government
Mainstream Parties’ Firewall
Whether the AfD has a mandate to govern
AfD’s Push for Government
AfD leaders described the result as historic and a clear mandate, while seeking either an outright majority or a government led by the party.
Mainstream Parties’ Firewall
The CDU and other major parties rejected coalition cooperation with the AfD, making its route into government difficult if it lacks a majority.
Migration and security policy
AfD’s Push for Government
The AfD campaigned for a remigration and deportation offensive, tighter restrictions, and measures aimed at reducing incentives for migration.
Mainstream Parties’ Firewall
Critics associate remigration with mass deportations, while the German Economic Institute warned that the party’s immigration policy could harm a shrinking, ageing state dependent on foreign-born workers.
Possible government after the vote
AfD’s Push for Government
Siegmund said the AfD would prefer to govern alone and suggested another election could be held if it could not form a government.
Mainstream Parties’ Firewall
The CDU could seek a coalition or minority administration, potentially relying on issue-by-issue or passive support from Die Linke while continuing to exclude the AfD.
- Projected AfD vote
- About 44.2% in ARD exit polls; other projections placed it near 44%.
- Projected CDU vote
- Roughly 17.4%-18.5% in post-vote projections; pre-election polling had placed it at about 23%.
- Projected seats
- The AfD was reported to have 39 of 83 seats, three short of the 42 needed for a majority.
- AfD candidate
- Ulrich Siegmund, 35, the party’s leading candidate for state premier.
- State population and electorate
- Saxony-Anhalt has about 2.1 million residents and approximately 1.7 million eligible voters.
- Parliamentary threshold
- Parties generally need at least 5% of the vote to enter the state parliament.
- Potential government
- If the AfD cannot govern alone, a CDU-led coalition or minority government under Sven Schulze could be pursued.
- Turnout
- Voter turnout was reported at approximately 76.5%-76.7%.
Sources
Germany’s far-right AfD seeks landmark state victory as Saxony-Anhalt votes
Germany’s far-right AfD scores historic win in regional election, falls short of majority
Far-right AfD eyes historic breakthrough in Germany’s key eastern state poll
