Today, September 6, 2026 far-right party „Alternative for Germany“ (AfD) achieved an unprecedented historic victory in the local parliament elections in the province Saxony-Anhalt earning around 44.5% of the vote. According to current forecasts as of 23:25 Bulgarian time, distributed by the German public television ARD (www.tagesschau.de) and confirmed by international agencies, the party more than doubles its result from 2021 (20.8%). At the same time, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz suffered a crushing defeat, collapsing dramatically to just 18.5%.
Details of the election result
According to the calculations, published by the German election portal (www.wahlrecht.de) and analyzed by The New York Times (www.nytimes.com), the AfD is expected to secure between 39 and 41 seats in the new 83-member parliament in Magdeburg. This leaves the party on the brink of an absolute majority (42 seats), which would allow it to govern alone. Voter turnout has increased dramatically, reflecting the strong polarization in society.
The intermediate distribution of power shows the following picture:
- AfD: 44.5%
- CDU: 18.5%
- GSDP (SPD): about 9%
- The Left (Die Linke): about 9%
- Greens (Grüne): about 9%
- Sarah Wagenknecht Union (BSW): around 5% (on the edge of the parliamentary barrier)
- Free Democrats (FDP): remain out of parliament.
Reactions and political commentary
The AfD's leading candidate in the province, the 35-year-old Ulrich Sigmund, announced to the media that the party had “written history“ and demanded a quick takeover. AfD national co-chairs Alice Weidel and Tino Hrupalė expressed wild enthusiasm and declared the result “sensational“.
On the other hand, traditional parties defined the day as a shock for German democracy. Political opponents immediately called for the preservation of the so-called “cordon sanitaire“ (democratic wall) to prevent the formation of a government by a party whose local branch is classified by the security services as right-wing extremist.
International response and concerns
The results immediately made the front pages of the world's leading media. The British news agency Reuters (reuters.com) and the French AFP (afp.com) commented that the victory marks the beginning of a period of serious political uncertainty in Germany.
The German Economic Institute (www.iwkoeln.de), quoted by Al-Jazeera (www.aljazeera.com), has already warned that the winners' radical anti-immigration program could prove “disastrous“ for local businesses, which are experiencing an acute shortage of foreign labor, especially in healthcare. Analysts quoted by The Guardian (www.theguardian.com) also express concerns about the AfD's foreign policy demands to suspend aid to Ukraine and renew ties with Russia.
A finale looking to the future
Today's election day marks a deep watershed in the modern history of the Federal Republic. Even if the remaining parties manage to unite in a fragile and ideologically fragmented coalition to isolate the AfD from power, the political status quo in Germany will never be the same again.
This unprecedented rise in Saxony-Anhalt sends a powerful jolt to Berlin and fundamentally changes the trajectory of German politics in the long term. The vote gives a clear signal of voter sentiment ahead of the next federal election. Germany is entering uncharted political waters where traditional governing formulas will be put to the test, and the ability of democratic institutions to navigate an era of rising populism will determine the future stability of Europe's largest economy.