AfD Saxony-Anhalt election — The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has scored a record victory in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, securing 44.4% of the vote in Sunday’s election according to an exit poll. The result marks a dramatic shift in the eastern state’s political landscape and a severe blow to the mainstream Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

The CDU, led by incumbent state leader Sven Schulze, plummeted to 18.4%, down from 37.1% in the 2026 election. The Left party came third with 9.3%, followed by the Greens with —8.7% and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) with 8.4%. The newly formed Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) hovered at the 5% threshold to enter parliament, while the business-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) crashed out with just 2.2%.

Conceding defeat, Schulze acknowledged the AfD’s clear win and urged German political leaders to heed voters’ message. In Berlin, head of the Chancellery Nina Warken called the outcome a “watershed moment” for her CDU but insisted the federal government would press ahead with its reforms.

The AfD is projected to win 39 seats in the 83-seat state parliament, just three seats short of an absolute majority. The party’s lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund hailed the result as a “clear signal” and signaled openness to coalition talks. However, all other mainstream parties have ruled out forming a coalition with the AfD.