The AfD has moved closer to power in a German state after a historic election victory in Saxony‑Anhalt. Beatrix von Storch, deputy leader of the party’s parliamentary group, told the BBC that they are «very, very close» to taking power. Preliminary results from Sunday’s vote show the AfD received 43.8% of the vote, falling three seats short of an absolute majority.
The AfD currently holds 39 seats in the 83-seat state parliament, while an absolute majority requires 42. The party is now looking for support from other political forces or individual lawmakers to form a government. No far‑right party has governed a German state since World War II. Controlling Saxony‑Anhalt would give the AfD authority over police and local education.
Seeking support to form a government
Beatrix von Storch urged the AfD‘s opponents to enter negotiations, stating: «You cannot say: I do not accept the will of the people.» She warned that if other parties refuse to cooperate, Germany could face «serious chaos,» potentially leading to new elections.
Her view was backed by Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD leader in Saxony‑Anhalt. At a press conference on Monday he said the party had received a «clear mandate to govern.» Negotiations with other forces began on Sunday evening and could last days or weeks. «We are reaching out to everyone first, we will hold consultations, and then we will see if there are individual parliamentary groups or deputies who are ready to help us,» Siegmund explained.
Saxony‑Anhalt has a population of about 2.1 million. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency classifies the AfD in this state as «right‑wing extremist,» though the 35‑year‑old Siegmund rejects that label.
According to Beatrix von Storch, the AfD is negotiating with individual members of the conservative CDU, the largest party in both the current state coalition and the federal government. She claims those representatives are «very, very unhappy with their own party.» In the Saxony‑Anhalt election the CDU received 17.2% of the vote.
One possible scenario is an informal agreement in which the left‑wing populist BSW offers silent support, allowing the AfD to form a minority government. The BSW, expected to win 5 seats, also advocates stricter migration policy and supports the import of Russian gas. All other parties have said they will not cooperate with the AfD.
AfD leads in national polls
The AfD also tops national polls, ahead of the conservatives led by Friedrich Merz and the Social Democratic Party. Its main stronghold remains Germany’s eastern states. In 2024 the AfD won elections in neighboring Thuringia but did not secure enough seats to form a government.
Among the party’s proposals is the controversial concept of «remigration.» While it is widely interpreted as a plan for mass deportation of migrants, the party says it refers only to deporting criminals and people residing in Germany illegally.
German observers and political opponents have called the AfD‘s victory a turning point and a break with the past. According to the newspaper Bild, Friedrich Merz told a closed‑door CDU meeting on Monday that the result in Saxony‑Anhalt was a «deep turning point» for the party and had shaken it «to its very roots.»
«This is not just about Saxony‑Anhalt. This is a signal for all of Germany — a self‑confident signal,» Ulrich Siegmund said to his supporters on election night.
Reaction from Trump, Russia, and Tusk
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a screenshot of the projected Saxony‑Anhalt results on his Truth Social platform without comment. Later, Kirill Dmitriev, a special representative of the Russian President, shared the screenshot and called the outcome a «historic victory for the pragmatic AfD.»
Earlier, Dmitriev had described the AfD as a «party of hope and reason, cooperation, truth and hope for Germany.» Ahead of last year’s federal elections, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance** also voiced support for the party, a move criticised in Germany as political interference.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded sharply, saying «in Poland, only idiots and traitors can rejoice at the triumph of the AfD.»
Beatrix von Storch calls on opponents to ‘wake up’
When asked about concerns that the AfD might take power in Saxony‑Anhalt, Beatrix von Storch told the BBC that the party’s supporters fear «losing our economy» and «losing our internal security.»
She said conservative voters are turning to alternative forces because they feel unheard. Beatrix von Storch also urged critics to «wake up and realize what has happened in several other European states.» She warned that conservative parties could disappear, as she claims happened in Italy, is occurring in the United Kingdom, and could happen in France.
Source: BBC World
