Far-right AfD surges to 44.5% in Saxony-Anhalt state election

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has secured a decisive lead in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, putting the party on track for an outright parliamentary majority and single-party governance, Meduza reported citing preliminary figures.

Voter turnout surged to over 76.5% (excluding postal votes), compared with 60.3% in 2021. According to an exit poll by public broadcaster ARD, the AfD garnered 44.5% of the vote—an increase of 23.7 percentage points. Chancellor-level rivals slumped, with the Christian Democrats (CDU) sinking to 18.5% (-18.6%), The Left securing 9.4% (-1.6%), the Greens capturing 8.9% (+3%), and the Social Democrats (SPD) taking 8.2% (-0.2%). The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) met the 5% electoral threshold, while the Free Democrats (FDP) plunged to 2.1% (-4.3%).

With unrepresented votes excluded from parliamentary seat redistribution, the AfD remains positioned to cross the absolute majority threshold in the state legislature.