The AfD has achieved its best-ever result in a state election. The historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt is shifting the balance of power in German politics—and now a dramatic battle for control of the state government lies ahead.
Voters in Saxony-Anhalt went to the polls on Sunday amid a politically charged atmosphere. Interest was enormous, and voter turnout reached about 77.8 percent—the highest level in the state since Germany’s reunification, reports Young Freedom.
Once the votes were counted, the extent of the AfD’s victory became clear. Alternative for Germany (AfD) received 43.8 percent of the vote, more than double its 20.8 percent share in 2021. The AfD won 39 of the state parliament’s 83 seats and also won 38 of the 41 electoral districts.
CDU Plummets – AfD Attracts Young Voters
At the same time, the CDU, Germany’s Christian Democratic Union, plummeted from 37.1 percent in 2021 to 17.2 percent. The AfD’s success was due in part to the mobilization of former non-voters: according to Infratest dimap, about 175,000 of them voted for the AfD.
The AfD also came out on top among young voters. The party received 41 percent of the vote among first-time voters and 42 percent among voters aged 18 to 24, according to ARD. ARD is a network of regional German public service broadcasters that, among other things, produces nationwide television news.
Siegmund: ”We’ve made history”
The AfD's top candidate Ulrich Siegmund celebrated the result as a historic breakthrough. The 35-year-old politician has become one of the party’s most prominent figures and, during the election campaign, has focused heavily on social media and direct contact with voters.
”Thank you, Saxony-Anhalt! Thank you, Germany! We’ve made history!”” he adds.X.
Even the party leader Alice Weidel She described the election results as historic. On election night, she stated that the largest party has the responsibility to try to form a government and that the AfD is prepared to hold talks with other parties.
– We are democrats; we talk to everyone. We don’t build firewalls.
The firewall is put to the test
The so-called firewall, Firewall, ...the established parties’ principle is not to engage in organized cooperation or form governing coalitions with the AfD. This is not a legal rule, but a political stance that now has direct implications for the formation of a government. Given the AfD’s newfound strength, there is a possibility that this stance could change.
The AfD is three seats short of a majority on its own. Meanwhile, the BSW, Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, into the state parliament. It is a party founded by a former left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht which has made a name for itself, among other things, through its criticism of migration, energy, and foreign policy.
BSW Opens a Door
BSW's top candidate Claudia Wittig said on election night that the parties differ on several issues. At the same time, she felt it would be unacceptable to completely ignore the AfD after the party had become by far the largest.
Siegmund has also expressed openness to cooperation with others, but has made it clear that the AfD does not intend to abandon its campaign promises in order to gain power.
– But not on the condition that we ourselves give in.
The struggle for power is about to begin
The CDU and several other parties still rule out cooperation with the AfD. This means that the election’s big winner could be excluded from the government if the other parties manage to find a workable parliamentary solution.
The election results have, however, changed the playing field. The AfD has more than doubled its support, emerged as the strongest party among several younger voter groups, and come close to securing a majority on its own. The next crucial question is whether this historic election victory will also be enough to secure a place in government.
Frihetsnytt spoke with the AFS politician and expert on Germany Simon O. Pettersson regarding the election results.
”Even though the AFD did not manage to secure a majority on its own, 44 percent is an absolutely incredible result. And this on a platform that is significantly more radical than, for example, the SD’s. The AFD in Saxony-Anhalt has taken a clearly nationalist stance and has also opposed the globalists” war in Ukraine. This shows that it is possible to achieve success if one dares to seriously challenge the establishment’s narrative—Swedish politicians should also be able to learn from this.”, ", Pettersson states in a written statement.
Germany is waking up!💪🇩🇪
Let's hope they don't get bought out the same way the SD did.
Germany is leading the way for the rest of Europe, and our country should follow suit and vote for Afs in the upcoming election.