According to the state electoral commission, by 21:23 local time 2,273 of 2,660 polling stations had been processed, or about 85%, пишет The Insider. At this stage, the AfD is receiving 45.4%, while the CDU of incumbent premier Sven Schulze has 16.5%.
In the 2021 election, the CDU won with 37.1%, while the AfD received 20.8%. Over five years, the AfD’s result has more than doubled, while the CDU has lost about half of its voters. For the AfD, this is its first-place finish in a state election in Saxony-Anhalt.
The key suspense of the evening is whether the party will win more than half of the seats and be able to form the state government without coalition partners. To do this, it does not need to win 50% of the vote: the decisive factor will be the distribution of seats, taking into account parties that fail to clear the 5% threshold. Usually, an absolute majority of seats can be won with roughly 45–48% of the vote.
According to the latest data, the Left Party, the SPD, and the Greens are entering the state parliament, while the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) remains on the threshold with 5.2%. AfD candidate for premier Ulrich Siegmund said before the vote that he would claim the post of head of government only with an absolute majority and would be able to form a cabinet without coalition partners. Other major parties refuse to form a coalition with the AfD, while the BSW does not rule out cooperation with it on individual issues.
The AfD branch in Saxony-Anhalt has been classified as confirmed right-wing extremist by the state Office for the Protection of the Constitution since 2023.
Sources
