Europe · updated 2h ago · 2 min read
AfD Wins Saxony-Anhalt Election With 43.8% as Friedrich Merz Accuses It of Ethnic Cleansing
AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt with ~44% and 39 seats, near majority. Merz accuses AfD of ethnic cleansing in Bundestag debate.
Whether AfD can realistically form a government.
2 of 3 outlets skipped it: jewish leaders fear AfD’s education stance will affect antisemitism.
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ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation
“it is likely the AfD will need the support of other parties to form a coalition government.”Read the original ↗
Al Jazeera
“though it was not immediately clear whether it would be able to form a government.”Read the original ↗
Al Jazeera stresses uncertainty; ABC anticipates coalition arithmetic.
AfD Breakthrough in Saxony-Anhalt
Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won the regional election in Saxony-Anhalt with 43.8% of the vote and 39 seats out of 83, leaving it three seats short of the 42-seat absolute majority needed to govern.
“With 43.8% of the votes and 39 seats out of 83, the AfD has won the election in Saxony-Anhalt”
Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused the AfD of promoting a “ethnic cleansing,” and said the “word ‘remigration’ is nothing more than the synonym of ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin color,” during a debate in the Bundestag.
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel hailed the result as “historic,” while the BBC reported that protesters gathered in Magdeburg and that counting continued as the question remained whether the AfD could form a government.
Exit polls cited by Al Jazeera put AfD at 44.2% and gave it 39 seats, while the incumbent centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) were projected at 17.4% and 17 seats, according to the same report.A
Europe Reacts, Firewalls Tested
As the AfD’s breakthrough raised alarms across Europe, France’s Finance Minister Roland Lescure told RTL radio that the victory sends a “very, very worrying signal” to Europe.
France’s European Affairs Minister Benjamin Haddad said the results mark “a very grave moment for Europe” and that “nationalism and xenophobia will never be the answer,” while Spain’s far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal posted congratulations on X.
In Germany, AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund said, “We have made history in this state,” and Al Jazeera’s Dominic Kane reported from Magdeburg that “the question is: is it enough to get them control of the state? ARight now, we cannot say for sure.”
Al Jazeera also said Germany’s mainstream parties have refused to work with the AfD under a “firewall,” and it quoted AfD national co-leader Tino Chrupalla claiming the “firewall” was “definitively rejected by the voters today.”A
What’s at Stake Next
With AfD projected to fall short of the 42-seat threshold, the immediate political stakes in Saxony-Anhalt center on coalition arithmetic, as 21News said the AfD is “three short of the absolute majority set at 42 seats” and is seeking “three additional seats” to govern.
“leaving it three short of the absolute majority set at 42 seats”
Al Jazeera reported that incumbent Saxony-Anhalt state premier Sven Schulze acknowledged the result “hit his party hard,” and said, “We’re going to have to live with this result,” while also saying he did not intend to cooperate with the AfD.A
Beyond state government formation, the election outcome triggered warnings about Europe-wide far-right momentum, with Pedro Sanchez saying the German result was a “warning” of a bigger political shift, according to Al Jazeera’s roundup of international reactions.A
In Germany’s Jewish community, Josef Schuster of the Central Council of Jews in Germany said, “I am personally appalled by this election result,” and Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor warned that “Germany needs a firewall against antisemitism on all fronts – not just words of condemnation, but concrete action.”