Germany's far-right AfD set for record win in Saxony-Anhalt vote

Germany’s far-right AfD is set to win Sunday’s state election in Saxony-Anhalt with a record 44.4% of the vote, early projections showed, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democrats slumped to a historic low of 18.4%.

Despite that record share of the vote, the AfD was still seen falling short of a majority of seats in the Magdeburg state parliament, according to projections by public broadcaster ARD. With all major parties ruling out a coalition with the AfD, the result pointed to political uncertainty and long talks on forming a government.

The socialist Left party was third at 9.3%. The Greens were forecast at 8.7%. The Social Democrats (SPD) stood at 8.4% and headed toward their weakest showing in the eastern state. The left-wing BSW was at 5% and risked missing the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament. The Free Democrats, junior partners in the outgoing government, were seen at 2.1% and out of the legislature.

“We have achieved exactly what we set out to achieve. We have made history in this country,” the AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund told the public television. He also acknowledged that early projections still left it unclear whether the party could win a parliamentary majority and govern alone.

Sunday’s vote put the AfD on course to more than double its result from 2021, when it won 20.8% in Saxony-Anhalt. The projected win would also be the party’s best result in any German state election.