Saxony-Anhalt: Far-right AfD secures huge lead in key vote
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Saxony-Anhalt: Far-right AfD secures huge lead in key vote To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
The far-right AfD has taken a massive lead at the Saxony-Anhalt election, although it was not clear if it will be able to form government. The party's state leader said the result sends "a signal to Berlin." Follow DW.
https://p.dw.com/p/5KRks Advertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Saxony-Anhalt voters cast their ballots for a new state parliament with the race being closely watched across Germany Exit polls show a massive lead for far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of the ruling center-right CDU The result could test Germany's political 'firewall' against the far right and put pressure on CDU Chancellor Friedrich Merz It is election day in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt state. Follow all the developments here.
09/06/2026 September 6, 2026 The Saxony-Anhalt projected seats: What do they mean? The projected seat results suggest the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is set to win 39 seats in the new Saxony-Anhalt parliament, three short of a majority and the ability to govern without a coalition.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's ruling CDU is projected to win 16 seats, its worst result in Saxony-Anhalt since German reunification. The Greens and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) are expected to receive eight and seven seats, respectively.
While the results are subject to change, it currently appears difficult for either the AfD or the other parties to form a coalition.
According to a poll by German public broadcaster ARD, the only party whose voters believe the AfD should be in government is the left-wing populist BSW, 57% of whose supporters hold that view. The party is currently projected to win five seats in parliament.
09/06/2026 September 6, 2026 Schulze admits major CDU defeat in Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt premier said the voters 'sent a signal' Image: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture alliance Saxony-Anhalt premier and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lead candidate Sven Schulze said exit polls showed the scale of the setback for his party, putting the conservatives at 18.5%.
"That is democracy, people have sent a signal," he said,
He congratulated the Alternative for Germany (AfD) on winning the election and said it was now on the CDU to find a way to deal with the outcome.
Schulze described the campaign as exceptionally tough.
"I have never experienced such an election campaign in my 25 years in politics," he said.
Meanwhile, CDU Secretary-General Franziska Hoppermann ruled out any cooperation with the AfD.
"We will not work with radicals, especially not with right-wing radicals," she told the German state broadcaster.
She also dismissed speculation about this result affecting the future of Germany's chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz.
"No, there will be no discussion," she said.
Meanwhile, Chancellery Minister Nina Warken, a close ally of Merz, described the result as a "turning point" for the CDU and a "very, very difficult result." She said reforms launched by the ruling coalition on the federal level had yet to take full effect.
09/06/2026 September 6, 2026 AfD's Ulrich Siegmund says far-right party 'made history' AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund sied his party, 'made history today' Image: Michael Kappeler/dpa/picture alliance Ulrich Siegmund, the head of the far-right AfD party in Saxony-Anhalt, celebrated AfD's apparent victory after the exit polls were made public.
"We've made history, we need to say this clearly," he told German public broadcaster ARD.
Siegmund also said the result was also a "signal" for Germany's federal government, led by CDU politician Friedrich Merz.
Speaking about potentially building a coalition with one of the other parties — most of which ruled out working with the far-right party ahead of the election — Siegmund said the AfD is open to cooperation, in its own terms.
"We will not give away our basic positions for the sake of being in power," he said.
Published 09/06/2026 Published September 6, 2026 last updated 09/06/2026 last updated September 6, 2026 Exit polls put AfD at 44.5% support, more than double of the incumbent CDU With polls closing in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, exit polls indicate that the far-right AfD party has secured 44.5% of the votes, with the center-right CDU at 18.5%.
09/06/2026 September 6, 2026 Follow DW's live coverage of the Saxony-Anhalt election results on YouTube You can keep up with our live coverage of the Saxony-Anhalt election on our website, in this live blog, and in our YouTube stream here:
09/06/2026 September 6, 2026 Pollsters hope for more accurate forecast after 2021 miss Jens Thurau in Magdeburg Ahead of the first projections, polling institutes are under particular scrutiny in Saxony-Anhalt . Five years ago, pre-election surveys differed significantly from the final result: the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) performed much better than expected, while the Alternative for Germany party (AfD) did considerably worse.
Roland Abold, managing director of Infratest dimap, told DW that polling institutes had therefore examined the race particularly closely this time.
"We can say that there was relatively little movement in the polls before the election," he said.
Recent surveys put the AfD at around 40 to 41% and the governing CDU at roughly 22 to 23%. The Left Party and Social Democrats are also expected to enter parliament, while the Greens are hovering around the 5% threshold needed to win seats.
Abold also said one problem seen in earlier elections appears to have eased: "Regarding the polls beforehand, one can say that the issue of people not admitting that they intend to vote for certain parties has actually declined."
09/06/2026 September 6, 2026 WATCH: Amid far right's rise, is Germany at a breaking point? Why are far-right parties attracting growing support, and…
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