The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has won an historic victory in state elections in the east of the country, delivering a fresh blow to Friedrich Merz’s ailing government and paving the way for the party to trial its radical policies. The anti-immigration, pro-Russia AfD won nearly 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, official results showed, falling short of an absolute majority with 39 of the 83 seats, while support for Merz’s CDU slumped to just 17.2%. Both France and Poland reacted to the election results with alarm, while Russia’s presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev hailed an “historic win for the pragmatic AfD”.
The AfD was only formed in 2013 but is already the country’s most popular party at the national level. It has sought to secure a foothold for advancing its agenda, which includes heavy restrictions on immigration, better ties with Russia, and leaving the euro. Leadership in Saxony-Anhalt could see sweeping reforms around migration, education, culture and family, offering a preview of the AfD’s plans for the country ahead of the 2029 national elections.
Alice Weidel, co-leader of the party at the national level, presented Sunday’s result as a milestone and said her party aimed to win at least 40 per cent in the upcoming federal elections. The party Alternative for Germany (AfD) was first set up in 2013, with its initial manifesto focusing solely on dissolving the Eurozone and opposing bailouts for countries struggling with the debt crisis. Founded by breakaway members of the conservative CDU party, it was initially dubbed a “party of professors” and veered away from harsh anti-migrant sentiment, crafting a reputational shield against accusations of extremism.
However, a series of leadership changes saw the party veer further into a hardline territory marked by its anti-migrant and anti-Islam stance, and rooted in nativism, following successes in regional elections. Earlier this year, the party revealed some of its proposals for governance in a lengthy ‘programme’ for Saxony-Anhalt, detailing plans to clamp down on immigration, restore ties with Russia and support families of German origin. The party outlined plans for a task force to expedite deportations, while the children of refugees would be placed in separate classes at schools.
They also said schools would be banned from flying rainbow flags, with the national flag raised daily instead. Schoolchildren would follow a curriculum built around a ‘patriotic cultural policy’ and be expected to sing the national anthem at school events. An AfD state government would advocate for removing war refugee status for Ukrainians in Germany as long as the conflict remains concentrated in eastern Ukraine, arguing they should seek refuge in western Ukraine.
Since 2023, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency BfV has listed AfD as a suspected extremist organisation which requires surveillance, while classifying its youth wing Young Alternative as extremist. The country’s mainstream parties have all refused to work with the AfD as part of a Brandmauer, or ‘firewall’, against the far-right. But none currently appear to be able to muster the popular support to defeat the party on their own.
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