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AfD's Ulrich Siegmund Brings Far-Right Party to Cusp of Power in Saxony-Anhalt
Confirmed
In Short: Ulrich Siegmund, leader of the far-right AfD, has secured a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt, bringing the party closer to governing the state for the first time since World War II.
Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD's leader in Saxony-Anhalt, has declared a 'clear mandate to govern' following the party's historic victory in the state's elections. The far-right party is now 'very, very close' to taking power, according to Siegmund. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed shock at the result, describing it as 'seismic' and 'not just in the country but also in my own political party.
The AfD's victory has sparked concerns among political opponents and commentators, who view it as a break with the past. Siegmund's party plans to segregate child refugees and set up a task-force to help deport migrants, which are highly controversial within Germany. The CDU, the conservative party that previously held power in Saxony-Anhalt, saw its share of the vote almost halved to 17.2%.
Siegmund has initiated discussions with other parties to form a government, potentially taking days or weeks to conclude. The AfD is also reportedly talking to individuals within the CDU group, as they are 'very, very unhappy with their own party.' The prospect of another election to break the deadlock has been mooted by Siegmund, who has said he doesn't want to compromise on his policy goals.
The AfD, classified as 'far-right extremist' by Germany's intelligence agency, has been under fire for employing family members and is projected to come first in the 2029 national election. The party's best-ever result in Saxony-Anhalt with 44 percent of the vote has raised concerns about a potential historic return of the far-right in Germany.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- The state's defeated premier, the CDU's Sven Schulze, also said the mandate to govern Saxony-Anhalt "now lies with the AfD".
- "This isn't just about Saxony-Anhalt," Siegmund told supporters overnight.
- Asked about those who had expressed fears over the far-right party gaining power in the state, deputy parliamentary leader Beatrix von Storch told the BBC that its supporters were afraid of "losing our economy, they are afraid of losing our inner security".
- No far-right party has controlled a German state since World War Two, and governing at state level would mean powers over policing and local education.
- Saxony-Anhalt has a small population of 2.1 million and the AfD in the state is assessed by domestic intelligence as "right-wing extremist", a classification rejected by Siegmund, 35.
- "AfD is a right-wing extremist party. It wants to leave the euro; that would be economic downfall... it works closely together with Russia, it wants a completely different social model," said Franziska Hoppermann, the national general-secretary of Merz's party.
- Far-left primary victories signal a shift as lifelong Democrat Jamie Metzl urges party leaders to reject Democratic Socialists of America candidates.
- He argues that maintaining a moderate, patriotic two-party system is essential for American democracy.