AfD Wins Saxony-Anhalt State Election, Shaking Germany’s Political Firewall

Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) won the Saxony-Anhalt state election in a landslide, with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) “won nearly 44% of the vote” while the Christian Democrats (CDU) won “39 of the 83 seats” in the state legislature.

“The anti-immigrant, pro-Russia AfD won nearly 44% of the vote”

The Express Tribune

The Express Tribune said the result could test Germany’s mainstream parties’ refusal to work with AfD, known as the “firewall,” and quoted Friedrich Merz conceding the outcome had shaken his party “to its very foundations.”

Associated Press

France 24 reported that AfD “fell just three seats short of an outright majority,” and said Ulrich Siegmund told Monday that his party had already initiated talks towards building a governing majority.

The Associated Press framing in Oskaloosa Herald said the AfD had “never been part of any state or federal government” and that the “firewall” faces its biggest test after the Sunday win in Saxony-Anhalt.

RFI added that Merz said he was “deeply shocked” and that the AfD’s success would not alter Berlin’s support for Ukraine, while noting Merz also said Germany faced a “very concrete threat” to internal security.

Merz’s reaction and the “firewall” debate dominated coverage, with Express Tribune quoting him as saying, “This shakes our party to its very foundations,” and France 24 describing the result as straining Germany’s “firewall” consensus against working with the far right.

France 24 said the outcome “much depends now on the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW),” and quoted Ed Turner saying it would be “really difficult to imagine a scenario where they’re kept out.”

BFM

RFI reported that Saxony-Anhalt’s outgoing CDU premier Sven Schulze accepted on Monday that “the political initiative now belonged to the AfD,” and said Schulze told reporters, “We are the opposition – the mandate to govern now lies with the AfD.”

The Express Tribune also said the AfD is appealing to lawmakers from Merz’s conservatives to support its bid to rule the eastern state, and it quoted AfD national co-leader Tino Chrupalla appealing to CDU lawmakers to make a “centre-right conservative majority” in Saxony-Anhalt possible.

DW reported that Kaja Kallas warned in Vilnius that “parties are gaining influence that ignore this threat,” linking the AfD result to Russian hybrid attacks and threats, including an alleged attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

The AfD’s near-majority performance in Saxony-Anhalt reverberated beyond Germany, with BFM saying French political leaders reacted strongly after the “historic victory” and quoting RN spokesperson Philippe Ballard on BFMTV that “red lines” had been crossed by the German party.

““red lines” had been crossed by the German party”

BFM

BFM also reported that RN president Jordan Bardella said it was “not planned” for the RN to reconnect with the AfD if the first opposition party in Germany made a breakthrough, and it added that Bardella said the AfD’s electoral pressure helped move lines within Merz’s government.

Le Monde described protests in Berlin after the election, quoting Berlin police estimating “about 5,000 participants” around 7 p.m. and noting Campact reported “14,000 protesters” in a press release.

In Berlin, Le Monde also quoted Marie-Therese Hattendorf saying she was “really afraid that in five years it might not be possible anymore,” and it quoted Ellen, 68, saying “all these fears manifested themselves” Sunday in Saxony-Anhalt.

Across Europe, Le Monde reported that the Centre-Val de Loire region warned it could terminate cooperation with Saxony-Anhalt, with François Bonneau saying the French region “cannot in any way continue cooperation with a entity whose political priorities would be the exact opposite of the values we implement.”