Saxony-Anhalt: Preliminary official results show AfD tops vote
Deutsche Welle · LC · trust 53/100
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won the Saxony-Anhalt state election but failed to secure an absolute majority in the state parliament. Follow DW.
https://p.dw.com/p/5KRks Ulrich Siegmund, lead candidate for the far-right AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, said his party has 'made history' Image: Michael Kappeler/dpa/picture alliance Advertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Far-right AfD hails 'sensational' results in the Saxony-Anhalt vote AfD expected to struggle with coalition building as many parties reject cooperation Left-wing populist BSW open to working with AfD on some issues Merz's CDU suffers worst Saxony-Anhalt result since German reunification Germany's Saxony-Anhalt state held an election on Sunday, September 6. Follow all the developments on Monday, September 7, here.
09/07/2026 September 7, 2026 Elon Musk congratulates AfD on election victory in Saxony-Anhalt Tech entrepreneur and the world's richest man, Elon Musk , who has backed Germany’s far-right AfD , congratulated the party on its Saxony-Anhalt election victory.
"Gut gemacht!" or "Well Done!" Musk wrote on his social media platform X in response to a post by AfD co-leader Alice Weidel congratulating the party's lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund on the result in Saxony-Anhalt.
Siegmund promptly replied to Musk, the world's richest man, thanking him for his "support."
"If we take responsibility here, I would very much welcome the opportunity for strong and constructive cooperation. Germany would once again be a place worth investing in," Siegmund wrote.
Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, the AfD has strengthened its ties with Washington, with Alice Weidel calling him a role model and AfD representatives attending his inauguration.
Elon Musk, then a close Trump adviser, openly campaigned for the AfD and continues to back far-right political figures.
09/07/2026 September 7, 2026 Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance sees a "political new beginning" Sahra Wagenknecht , founder of the populist BSW , called for a "political new beginning" in Saxony-Anhalt after the party narrowly cleared the 5% threshold to enter the state parliament.
"There are hopefully now majorities in the Magdeburg state parliament for a change in energy policy, an end to the Russia sanctions, better education and a fundamental reform of public broadcasting," Wagenknecht told dpa.
Since its founding in January 2024 , Wagenknecht’s BSW has positioned itself as economically left-wing but culturally conservative. She supports higher minimum wages and rent caps but also backs tougher immigration policies.
She has repeatedly blamed the West for Russia’s war in Ukraine and opposed sanctions against Moscow. BSW politicians, like some AfD figures, have also been accused of maintaining ties with supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin .
"The BSW’s comeback has begun," she said, adding " the result would boost her party’s campaign ahead of state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin ."
The far-right AfD fell short of an outright majority, leaving the shape of a government in Saxony-Anhalt unclear. Wagenknecht has ruled out a coalition with the AfD but not cooperation, potentially giving her party the balance of power.
"The policy of keeping the AfD out of government has failed. Simply trying to form another coalition to exclude the AfD would be an affront to voters." she said.
09/07/2026 September 7, 2026 AfD faces uncertain coalition options after Saxony-Anhalt win According to preliminary official results, the AfD emerged as the largest party but fell short of a governing majority in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament. The far-right party therefore faces challenges in forming a government.
AfD lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt Ulrich Siegmund said his party’s result represented "a clear mandate to govern."
At the same time, the 35-year-old said he currently saw no potential coalition partners. However, he added that he did not know what might happen in the coming days.
"I don’t know whether there are individual lawmakers who might say: 'That’s it, I’m not playing along with this anymore,'" he said, adding, "A lot can still happen." Post the historic win, AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla said: " Ulrich Siegmund will definitely run as a candidate for state premier in the state parliament. That much is certain."
If efforts to form a government fail, Siegmund said a new election could also be an option. "In the worst-case scenario, there would simply be new elections , and then we would get 50% or 55%," he said.
The only coalition that would have a numerical majority without the AfD would be an alliance of all the other parties. However, under a resolution adopted previously, the center-right CDU rules out not only a coalition with the AfD but also with the Left Party. This policy is known as the " political firewall. "
That would also be a stumbling block for a CDU-led minority government. In addition, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) could potentialy hold the balance of power with five seats. Its leadership has ruled out supporting CDU.
Following the election, the previously governing coalition of the CDU, SPD and FDP will end. However, state premier Sven Schulze and his Cabinet will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a new state premier is elected.
09/07/2026 September 7, 2026 Is Germany’s "political firewall" against the AfD collapsing? Christoph Hasselbach Germany's centrist parties reject any cooperation with AfD, parts of which are classified as right-wing extremist. However, this policy is coming under increasing pressure. Image: John Macdougall/AFP Germany’s mainstream parties have long maintained a "political firewall" against cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany, the AfD. But that firewall is under growing pressure following the AfD’s historic win in the Saxony-Anhalt state election and prospects in other forthcoming state elections.
…
Read the original at Deutsche Welle →
Open in TruthVane →