AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt election with 44.4% as CDU support falls to 18.4%

Election results and voter turnout

Alternative for Germany (AfD) took first place in the Saxony-Anhalt state election on 6 September 2026, securing between 44.1% and 44.5% of the vote according to exit polls by Forschungsgruppe Wahlen for ZDF and Infratest Dimap for ARD. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which has governed the state continuously since 2002, fell to second place with 18.4% in the ARD projection. Die Linke finished third with 9.3%, followed by the Greens at 8.7% and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) at 8.4%. The Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) met the electoral threshold with 5.0%, while the Free Democratic Party (FDP) took 2.2% and missed parliamentary entry. Voter participation reached 78.1% according to ARD, up from 60.3% in the 2021 state election, representing a turnout increase across nearly 1.7 million eligible voters.

Seat distribution and government formation

Despite securing its highest state election share to date, initial simulations indicate AfD may fall short of an absolute majority in the state parliament in Magdeburg. A projection reported by ARD placed the party at 39 out of 83 seats, leaving it between one and three seats short of unilateral control. Lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund stated that the party received a direct mandate from voters, though he rejected the possibility of leading a minority administration.

Federal co-leader Alice Weidel echoed that position, noting that the strongest party holds the mandate to build a government.

Our hand is always extended.

Traditional parties confirmed their refusal to enter a formal governing coalition with AfD, which the regional domestic intelligence service classifies as a confirmed right-wing extremist organisation. BSW state leader Claudia Wittig indicated openness to issue-specific cooperation on selected matters such as energy policy, while Die Linke state leader Eva von Angern expressed willingness to work alongside the CDU.

Political fallout for the governing CDU

The outcome represents the lowest vote share for the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt state history, dropping 18.7 percentage points from the 37.1% recorded in 2021. Incumbent state premier Sven Schulze conceded the loss during the election evening in Magdeburg.

Some say it is a black day for Saxony-Anhalt. I say: this is democracy. And people went to the ballot box today.

Schulze attributed campaign difficulties in part to the federal policies of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei described the outcome as a caesura for the country, while head of the federal chancellery Nina Warken called it a turning point. Federal Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil of the SPD described the result as a warning for the federal government in Berlin.

Voter shifts and external responses

Voter movement analyses by public broadcaster ARD indicated that AfD drew approximately 157,000 ballots from previous non-voters and absorbed 83,000 votes directly from the CDU. An Infratest Dimap survey cited during coverage found that 59% of voters viewed the ballot as a red card for the federal coalition government, with 30% supporting planned social reforms. Commentators and foreign officials pointed to potential wider economic and geopolitical implications. Polish Member of the European Parliament Robert Biedroń noted that AfD policy stances on restarting the Nord Stream pipeline, shifting trade with Russia, and altering euro currency policy could influence regional trade, pointing out that 28% of Polish exports go to Germany.