AfD wins 43.8% in Saxony-Anhalt, ending CDU majority there
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) became the first far-right party to win a state election since WWII with nearly half the vote, causing the Christian Democratic Union's share to collapse to 17.2%.
Germany crossed a major political line in Saxony-Anhalt Sunday as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) took 43.8% of the vote. The AfD secured 39 of 83 seats in the Magdeburg parliament, stopping just three seats short of a majority. This result marked the first outright victory by a far-right party in a German state since the war ended. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered a severe setback, dropping its vote share to 17.2% from 37.1% in 2021. Opposition parties including the Social Democrats, Greens, and Left Party each won eight seats. Immediate economic consequences for this specific state are minimal as Saxony-Anhalt accounts for less than 2% of German output. However, the national implications are significant. Polling data compiled by DAWUM shows the AfD leading nationally on 27%, six points ahead of the CDU/CSU at 21%. Public dissatisfaction with Merz has reached a historic low, with only 13% of Germans satisfied with his performance. The AfD more than doubled its 2021 vote share in this region.
