German voters head to polls as far-right AfD party eyes historic state win

Saxony-Anhalt elections could see AfD become the first far-right party to take power at a state level since WWII.

Al Jazeera2026-09-06 04:12查看原文 ↗

Saxony-Anhalt elections could see AfD become the first far-right party to take power at a state level since WWII.

Ulrich Siegmund, the top candidate in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, addresses a campaign event in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, on September 5, 2026 [AFP]

Voters in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt will head to closely watched polls on Sunday that could see the Alternative for Germany (AfD) become the first far-right party to take power at a state level since World War II.

Recent surveys place AfD at 40 percent, ahead of the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) at 23 percent.

AfD has led comfortably in the polls for months and has a chance at winning an absolute majority if several smaller parties fail to clear the 5 percent threshold to enter the German parliament. The results, however, are not guaranteed.

A CDU-led administration under incumbent state premier Sven Schulze is the most likely outcome if the AfD does not win a majority.

Weeks ⁠of coalition talks could follow the vote, depending on which parties surpass the 5 percent minimum.

AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund, who was previously a member of the CDU, predicted gaining an absolute majority that would lead the anti-establishment party to national victory in 2029. He was named “Germany’s most dangerous man” by the influential magazine Der Spiegel.

“It was the others who erected the firewalls,” he told German tabloid Bild. “If no one wants to work with us, then we’ll just have to do it alone.”

An absolute majority would allow AfD to bypass mainstream parties’ “firewall” noncooperation policy, which the far-right party has already done at the local level.

For the AfD, the Saxony-Anhalt ‌elections are ⁠a stepping stone towards its larger ambition: securing national power in the 2029 federal elections.

The CDU is led by deeply unpopular German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

At a local campaign rally in Lower Saxony a week before the election, Merz urged other politicians to engage with AfD more effectively.

“We must address the issues at hand. We must also address our choice of words,” Merz said, referring to a statement by the AfD’s state leader in Saxony-Anhalt, Martin Reichardt.

Reichardt previously told the AfD’s youth organisation that Germany had become “a lazy, anti-social bum reeking of dope”.

People gather to demonstrate for an open society based on solidarity during a festival of democracy in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, on September 5, 2026, one day before elections in the eastern German state. [AFP]

Thousands of demonstrators gathered for a festival in support of democracy the night before the crucial election. Rally organisers estimated that between 15,000 and 20,000 people attended the demonstration.

Initial results are expected at about 16:00 GMT (6pm local time) on Sunday.

萨克森-安哈尔特州选举可能使德国选择党成为二战以来第一个在州一级执政的极右翼政党。

2026年9月5日，极右翼政党德国另类选择党（AfD）萨克森-安哈尔特州选举的首席候选人乌尔里希·西格蒙德在德国东部城市马格德堡的一次竞选活动中发表讲话。[法新社]

德国东部萨克森-安哈尔特州的选民将于周日前往备受关注的投票站，此次投票结果可能使德国另类选择党（AfD）成为二战以来第一个在州一级执政的极右翼政党。

最近的民调显示，德国选择党（AfD）的支持率为 40%，领先于中右翼基督教民主联盟（CDU）的 23%。

德国选择党（AfD）在民调中已连续数月保持领先优势，如果几个小党未能跨越5%的得票门槛进入德国议会，AfD就有机会赢得绝对多数席位。然而，最终结果并非板上钉钉。

如果德国选择党未能赢得多数席位，那么由现任州长斯文·舒尔茨领导的基民盟政府很可能执政。

投票结束后，可能会进行数周的组阁谈判，具体取决于哪些政党的得票率超过 5% 的最低门槛。

德国选择党候选人乌尔里希·西格蒙德曾是基民盟成员，他预测该党将获得绝对多数席位，从而在2029年赢得全国大选。他被颇具影响力的《明镜周刊》评为“德国最危险的人物”。

他对德国小报《图片报》说：“是其他人架设了防火墙。如果没人愿意和我们合作，那我们就只能单干了。”

如果获得绝对多数席位，德国选择党就可以绕过主流政党的“防火墙”不合作政策，而这个极右翼政党已经在地方层面这样做了。

对于德国选择党而言，萨克森-安哈尔特州选举是其更大目标的垫脚石：在 2029 年联邦选举中赢得国家政权。