In the final results, the AfD won 39 seats in the 83-member state parliament, falling just three seats short of the 42 required for a single-party government. The party, which has been classified as “right-wing extremist” by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency in the region, took 43.8% of the vote. This is more than double its result in the previous election five years ago. AfD candidate for governor Ulrich Siegmund, 35, declared that his party had “written history” and held a clear mandate to govern. “A very good campaigner for us in this election campaign was Friedrich Merz,” Siegmund stated, attributing the party’s gains to the unpopularity of the federal government.
The defeat for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was severe. The party polled just 17.2% of the vote, winning 15 seats and losing approximately half of its previous support in the state. Franziska Hoppermann, the CDU’s general secretary, described the outcome as “bitter” and a “defeat overall” for the Christian Democrats. She acknowledged that the result reflected the struggles of the party bearing responsibility in the state during the post-communist era. Hoppermann ruled out any discussion regarding Merz’s future as party leader, despite analysts suggesting the defeat would intensify scrutiny of his leadership.
The remaining seats were distributed among a fractured opposition. The centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) won 9.3% of the vote and eight seats, while the Greens and the Left Party each secured 8.9% and 8.6% respectively, also winning eight seats apiece. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) took 5.3% and five seats. Voter turnout reached a record high of 76.5%, indicating high engagement among the region’s 2.1 million inhabitants.
National Discontent Fuels Regional Upset
The state election result mirrors a broader trend of dissatisfaction with the federal government led by Merz. Recent polling indicates that 86% of eligible German voters are dissatisfied with the current administration, a record low for a government after only one year in office. Merz’s coalition, comprising the CDU, Christian Social Union (CSU), and SPD, took office in May 2025 with a mandate for economic recovery. However, the government has struggled to implement its promised reforms, with the economy failing to gain momentum.
Public confidence in the government’s ability to address key issues such as the economy, social security, and immigration has plummeted. In May 2025, just over half of respondents trusted the new government to boost the economy; by the most recent survey, that figure had dropped to 25%. The AfD is capitalizing on this discontent, reaching a new national record high of 27% in recent polls, slightly ahead of the CDU/CSU bloc which has fallen to 24%.
Political Deadlock Ahead
The immediate political consequence in Saxony-Anhalt is a potential government formation crisis. The AfD had sought an absolute majority to overcome the “firewall”—the long-standing refusal of mainstream parties to cooperate with the far-right. Siegmund stated that his party would not engage in “games” such as forming a minority government, insisting on themes like migration and domestic security being non-negotiable.
However, it remains unclear how the divided opposition can assemble a stable government without the AfD. The BSW has stated it would not support either Siegmund or the incumbent governor, Sven Schulze, as governor, while criticizing the firewall against the AfD. The CDU has reaffirmed its refusal to rule with the AfD, a stance the far-right party has also adopted. As the state enters a period of coalition negotiations, the inability to form a stable government could lead to prolonged uncertainty in Saxony-Anhalt, further amplifying the national debate over the AfD’s role in German politics.
