The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has scored a landslide victory in regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt, coming in well ahead of its political rivals. Preliminary results show the right-wing party has fallen short of an absolute majority in the state parliament, but its leaders have hailed the result as a political mandate to seek the leadership of the regional government.

According to interim results from the state election commission, the AfD has secured 43.8% of the vote, while the conservative CDU ranks second with 17.2%.

The leader of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, described the result as "sensational" and stated that the party wants to start the process of governing the state as soon as possible.

The AfD is expected to secure around 39 of the 83 seats in the regional parliament, while 42 are needed for an absolute majority. As a result, the party cannot form a majority government alone.

The result is particularly significant in the context of German politics, as no far-right party has taken control of a German state since the end of World War II. An AfD-led government would have significant powers in areas such as police, education and culture at the regional level.

Saxony-Anhalt, a state of about 2.1 million people, is one of the AfD's strongholds in eastern Germany. The state's intelligence authorities have classified the regional AfD branch as "right-wing extremist," a classification that Siegmund and other party leaders dispute.

The latest result marks a significant increase for the AfD compared to the 2021 elections, turning the state into another important point of debate over the rise of the far right in Germany.

Political clashes and coalition dilemmas

The AfD's victory has caused strong reactions in Germany and beyond. Traditional parties continue to maintain the stance known as the "Brandmauer", i.e. the refusal to form coalitions with the AfD.

But the result in Saxony-Anhalt could complicate this strategy. The focus is on the BSW, the left-wing populist party, which secured entry into parliament with a small number of seats and has taken a more open stance towards cooperation with the AfD on certain issues.

Siegmund said that if a majority is not possible, other alternatives could be considered. He also mentioned the possibility of new elections, arguing that the AfD could aim for an even higher result.

Reactions from the US, Russia and Poland

The result has also attracted attention outside Germany. US President Donald Trump posted a screenshot of the results projections on Truth Social, while Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the result a "historic victory" for the AfD.

Dmitriev has previously expressed support for the German party, while the AfD has maintained more friendly stances towards Russia compared to the main German parties.

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacted sharply to the result, declaring that in Poland "only idiots and traitors" could rejoice at the AfD's triumph.

The debate on migration and “remigration”

One of the main issues of the AfD program is migration. The party has promoted the concept of “remigration,” a term that has been widely interpreted as a policy of mass deportations of migrants. The AfD claims that it is mainly about deporting people who are in Germany illegally or those convicted of criminal offenses.

An AfD regional government would not have the powers to implement such policies at the national level, but would have considerable influence on local policies.

The party has also caused controversy over its stances towards cultural institutions, including the Bauhaus in Dessau, one of the most important symbols of German modernism.

At the AfD headquarters in Magdeburg, party supporters celebrated the result, as Siegmund declared: "We have made history in this state."

Turnout in the election was high, reaching 77.8%.

The result was a major blow to the CDU. Its state leader, Sven Schulze, admitted defeat and said the party must face up to the message given by voters.

The center-left SPD also called the result “truly dramatic.” Its national leader, Lars Klingbeil, said the result was a “signal for Berlin.”

The AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt strengthens its position in eastern Germany and is expected to further fuel the national debate over the future of the party, which is already ranked among the leading political forces in national polls.