Archive · 7 Sep 2026
AfD Wins Historic Saxony-Anhalt Election, Challenging Germany’s Political Firewall
The AfD, a far-right political party, won the most votes in a German state election.
It received about 44% of the vote and won 39 seats.
However, it needed 42 seats to govern by itself.
Other parties say they will not work with the AfD.
This makes it difficult to form a government.
The result was also a major setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU party.
Supporters of the AfD say voters wanted a strong change from the political establishment.
Critics worry the result could weaken Germany’s political center and affect European cooperation.
The AfD won roughly 44% of the vote and 39 of 83 seats in Saxony-Anhalt’s state parliament.
The Christian Democratic Union fell to about 17.2%-17.5%, its lowest result in the state, while failing to win a direct constituency.
No party or established coalition has the 42 seats needed for an absolute majority, creating uncertainty over who can govern.
Mainstream parties reaffirmed their refusal to form coalitions with the AfD, while the five-seat BSW could become influential.
The result intensified concerns about Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government, Germany’s political direction, and the country’s European role.
- Who
- The Alternative for Germany (AfD), led in the state by Ulrich Siegmund, won ahead of the Christian Democratic Union and other parties.
- What
- The AfD secured a historic first-place finish with roughly 44% of the vote and 39 seats in the Saxony-Anhalt Landtag.
- When
- The election was held on Sunday, September 6, according to the article.
- Where
- Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, with the state parliament based in Magdeburg.
- Why
- The result reflected voter support for the AfD’s anti-establishment and anti-immigration platform, as well as dissatisfaction with established parties and the federal government.
Supporters of the Brandmauer
Critics of the Brandmauer
Cooperation with the AfD
Supporters of the Brandmauer
Established democratic parties say they will maintain the Brandmauer and will not form coalitions or governance arrangements with the AfD.
Critics of the Brandmauer
Some eastern CDU representatives argue that refusing to work with a party supported by roughly 44% of voters leaves states difficult to govern and distances the CDU from its electorate.
Meaning of the result
Supporters of the Brandmauer
Critics view the AfD’s victory and its classification by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization as a warning about democratic stability.
Critics of the Brandmauer
AfD supporters and other right-wing populists describe the result as a rejection of established political elites and a mandate to disrupt the status quo.
Possible government formation
Supporters of the Brandmauer
Non-AfD parties could try to unite behind a single candidate to prevent the AfD from winning a plurality vote, though such an arrangement would be highly unstable.
Critics of the Brandmauer
The AfD argues that its position as the largest parliamentary group should entitle it to negotiate a coalition, while rejecting a minority administration.
- AfD result
- Approximately 43.8%-44.5% of the vote and 39 seats
- Seats required for majority
- 42 of the 83 Landtag seats
- CDU result
- Approximately 17.2%-17.5%, down from 37.1% in 2021
- Voter turnout
- 77.8%, compared with 60.3% in 2021
- AfD leader
- Ulrich Siegmund, 35, the party’s state parliamentary group co-chair
- Other parties
- SPD won 8 seats, the Greens 8, Die Linke 8, and BSW 5
- Next political deadline
- The new Landtag must convene within 30 days of the election