Far-right AfD surges to 44 per cent in German state election, eyes solo power

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party secured 44 per cent of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt's regional elections, putting it on course to potentially form the first far-right-led state government in the country since World War II, exit polls showed.

The anti-immigration party finished more than 25 percentage points ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right CDU, which received 18.5 per cent, according to exit polls released by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF. Whether the AfD wins an outright majority of seats remained unclear at the time of the exit polls.

Path to power hinges on threshold results

An absolute majority in the state parliament in Magdeburg would allow the AfD to govern without needing coalition partners, circumventing the mainstream parties' so-called "firewall" that blocks cooperation with the far-right. Such an outcome would bring the party's lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund into power.

The final seat distribution depends on whether three left-wing parties, The Left, the Social Democrats (SPD), and the Greens, clear the 5 per cent threshold required to win parliamentary representation. If any of these parties fall below that mark, their votes would be redistributed, potentially affecting whether the AfD achieves a governing majority.

CDU coalition faces collapse

The Christian Democrats currently lead a three-party coalition government in Saxony-Anhalt. Polls ahead of the vote had consistently placed them in a distant second position behind the AfD.

The far-right party has capitalised on widespread voter dissatisfaction with Merz's government in Berlin.

Source: South China Morning Post