The far-right party “Alternative for Germany“ (AfD) achieved unprecedented success in the regional elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, 2026, causing a political earthquake in Berlin. According to the first official forecasts and exit polls, the AfD won a historic 44.5% of the vote, which is almost double the vote in 2021 (20.8%). At the same time, the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered a heavy defeat, collapsing to record lows 18.5% (compared to 37.1% five years ago).
The turnout reached record 80%, reflecting the enormous mobilization of society.
The winners: “We have made history and have a mandate to govern“
The leader of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, the 35-year-old Ulrich Siegmund, announced the victory to enthusiastic supporters who later sang the national anthem. "We have made history in this province," Siegmund said. He stressed that his outstretched hand is open for a coalition, but only to political forces that are ready for a complete political change, without the AfD betraying its own values.
The party's national co-chair Alice Weidel was even more categorical on public television ZDF: “This is a very clear mandate to govern. The strongest party always has the task of forming a government.“ (Source of quotes: www.zdf.de)
The losers: “A tough blow and a turn that we have to deal with“
The previous state premier from the CDU, Sven Schulze, admitted defeat and congratulated the winners, describing the campaign as “extremely tough and intense“.
The Minister in the Chancellery Nina Warken (CDU) described the vote as a “deep turn and historical caesura“ for the conservatives. She acknowledged that the course of reforms at the federal level under Chancellor Friedrich Merz had proved to be a huge challenge.
From the Social Democratic Party (GSDP), whose vote was anchored on the critical 8.2%, leader Lars Klingbeil called the results “a signal to Berlin“ that will test the federal government. The new left-wing party “Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht“ (BSW) balances around the 5 percent barrier with exactly 5.0%, while the Free Democratic Party (FDP) dropped out of the local parliament completely with just 2.1%. (Data source: www.tagesschau.de)
Media, political scientists and experts: Threat to the consensus model
Leading German and international media outlets are evaluating the event as a turning point in Germany's post-war history. The Reuters news agency notes that the result seriously weakens the positions of Chancellor Friedrich Merz just weeks before the votes in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. (Source: www.reuters.com)
- Political analyses: Janos Richter, legal forum expert Verfassungsblog, commented that “the consensus-based model that we have been accustomed to in Germany in recent decades is now seriously under threat“. According to him, a possible regional management of the AfD would radically complicate internal security and the coordination of federal policies. (Source: www.verfassungsblog.de)
- Economic warnings: The German Economic Institute (IW) has already warned of severe consequences for the province's economy, as the AfD's strict anti-immigration policy could stop the influx of foreign workers, of which the aging region has urgent need. (Source: www.theguardian.com)
Despite its huge success, the AfD remains in doubt about forming a government, as the other parties in parliament (the CDU, the Left, the Greens and the SPD) have a combined 42 of the 83 seats and will likely try to erect a "cordon sanitaire" against the far right. However, the negotiation process is shaping up to be the most complex in the province's modern history.