Far-Right AfD Wins Landmark State Election in Eastern Germany

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has secured a historic victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, according to exit polls released on Sunday. The party, which has campaigned on a hardline migration policy and warmer ties with Russia, won 44.5% of the vote, far ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives, who trailed with 18.5%.

The centre-left Social Democrats and the environmental Greens both cleared the threshold to enter the state parliament, the ARD broadcaster's exit poll showed. The AfD's co-leader, Alice Weidel, hailed the result as "historic" and claimed it gave the party a clear mandate to govern. However, it remains unclear whether the AfD can form a government on its own.

If the AfD falls short of an outright majority, mainstream parties—who have pledged to keep the party out of power—may face a protracted coalition-building process. The AfD is under investigation for right-wing extremism by Germany's domestic intelligence service, a designation the party dismisses as scaremongering.

The left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), seen as a potential AfD partner, could also clear the threshold, adding further complexity to the political landscape.

The result is another setback for Chancellor Merz, whose authority has waned as his coalition struggles to revive growth in Europe's largest economy. Nationally, the AfD is now Germany's most popular party, though other parties have ruled out cooperating with it under a policy known as the "firewall."