In brief
The far‑right AfD has won 43.8% in Saxony‑Anhalt, just shy of a majority, prompting calls for coalition talks. Deputy leader Beatrix von Storch urged other parties to work with them, citing democratic legitimacy. AfD claims a mandate to govern despite intelligence agencies labeling the group extremist. Failure to form a coalition could lead to chaos or a fresh election.
Germany’s far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has come close to taking power in the eastern state of Saxony‑Anhalt after a historic win in the state election.
The preliminary results show the AfD secured 43.8% of the vote, falling just three seats short of the 42‑seat majority required in the 83‑seat state parliament.
AfD deputy parliamentary leader Beatrix von Storch said on the BBC that the party was "very, very close" to governing and urged other parties to talk to them: "You cannot say I do not accept the vote of the people."
German intelligence agencies consider the party in Saxony‑Anhalt extremist, a label the AfD rejects. If other parties refuse to cooperate, von Storch warned that the region could fall into "severe chaos" and trigger a new election.
AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund called a press conference Monday, stating that the party had a "clear mandate to govern". He and his senior committee have already begun talks with the CDU, the largest opposition party that gained 17.2% of the vote.
Saxony‑Anhalt’s population is 2.1 million, so a new state government would hold significant power over policing and local education – a significant shift for German politics that has not seen a far‑right party govern a state since World War II.
