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Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has won a historic victory in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, according to exit polls released on Sunday.
The AfD secured around 44.5% of the vote, more than doubling its 20.8% share in the 2021 election. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) finished a distant second with about 18.5%.
The result marks the first time since World War II that a far-right party has emerged as the leading force in a German state election.
However, the AfD may still struggle to form a government because it appears unlikely to have the outright majority needed to govern alone, while mainstream parties have ruled out cooperation with it.
AfD top candidate Ulrich Siegmund described the result as historic.
The party’s strong performance is being seen as a major setback for Merz’s conservatives and a significant development in Germany’s political landscape.
