The final result gave the AfD 39 of 83 seats in Saxony-Anhalt, three short of a majority, while the CDU fell to 17.2 per cent. The AfD is seeking support, but other parties' refusal to cooperate narrows the routes to a government. Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the defeat deeply shocking and said he would continue reforms.
The final result in Saxony-Anhalt gave the AfD 39 of the state parliament's 83 seats. The party won by a wide margin but finished three seats short of a majority, while the CDU's vote share fell to 17.2 per cent. BBC News and AP News separately report the AfD's landslide and its failure to secure enough seats to govern alone. The result makes additional support inside the legislature necessary to form a state government.[1], [2]
AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund said contacts began on Sunday night and could last days or weeks. Deputy parliamentary leader Beatrix von Storch argued that rivals could not disregard the voters' decision and warned that refusing talks might lead to another election. BBC News reports that the other parties continue to maintain their firewall against cooperation with the AfD. Support from the BSW, which is set to hold five seats, is one possible route to a minority administration.[1]
Defeated CDU state premier Sven Schulze said the mandate to govern now belonged to the AfD. AP News reports that Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the CDU defeat deeply shocking and promised to continue reforms; BBC News records his warning that business as usual could not continue. The state's domestic intelligence service classifies the AfD branch in Saxony-Anhalt as right-wing extremist. Siegmund rejects that designation.[1], [2]
