AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt elections: Germany faces its first far-right government since World War II

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which opposes support for Ukraine and rapprochement with Russia, won the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt. However, the party fell just a few seats short of an independent majority in the local parliament.

The Guardian writes about this.

According to the election results, the AfD received 44% of the vote and will have 39 representatives in the state parliament, which has 83 seats. The party fell three seats short of securing a majority. Turnout was high at 77%.

A majority would allow the AfD to bypass the so-called firewall—a political principle that stipulates a refusal to cooperate or form coalitions with far-right forces. In this case, the party would be able to independently form a state government.

At the same time, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), suffered significant losses. Its support fell almost in half, to 17.2%. The CDU will have 15 seats in the new state parliament.

Media outlets note that the AfD’s victory in Saxony-Anhalt could bring Germany closer to the formation of its first far-right regional government since World War II. The AfD also remains the most popular party nationally.

During the election campaign, AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund of Saxony-Anhalt promised to launch a large-scale deportation of migrants and halt the construction of new wind farms if he won a majority.

Back in April, Sigmund stated that if his party wins, the state could introduce free Russian language lessons. He also called for large-scale changes in migration, education, social, and energy policies.

The AfD advocates increased deportations and so-called “remigration” of migrants from Germany, which could also include Ukrainian refugees. Furthermore, the party claims that the current policy toward Russia allegedly does not serve Germany’s interests and contributes to the division of Europe.

The AfD manifesto, in particular, calls for the lifting of sanctions against Russia and the expansion of Russian language teaching.

If you want, I can make an even more forceful headline in the style of a news feed, for example, emphasizing the fact that the AfD received a record 44%.