Politics
Far-right AfD leads opinion polls ahead of Saxony-Anhalt state election
Polling at over 40 percent, the party could become the first far-right group to head a German state government in the postwar era.
The short version
- The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party holds a leading position in polls with over 40% support ahead of Saxony-Anhalt's September 2026 state election.
- The Christian Democratic Union, which has governed the state since 1990, trails behind in second place with support between 23% and 26%.
- A victory by the AfD would mark the first time a party classified in parts as right-wing extremist by domestic intelligence leads a German state government.
Key facts
- The AfD leads opinion polls in Saxony-Anhalt at over 40% support ahead of the state election scheduled for September 2026.[Deutsche Welle]
- The conservative CDU, which has led the state government since 1990, trails the AfD with 23% to 26% support.[Deutsche Welle]
- Germany's domestic intelligence agency classifies the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization.[Deutsche Welle]
- former State Premier Reiner Haseloff stepped down in January 2026 after 15 years in office, leaving Sven Schulze to lead the CDU campaign.[Deutsche Welle]
- Saxony-Anhalt has a population of roughly 2.1 million, an average age of 48.3 years in 2024, and foreign nationals representing about 9% of residents.[Deutsche Welle]
What remains uncertain
- It remains uncertain whether smaller parties like the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) will meet the required threshold to re-enter the state parliament.[Deutsche Welle]