German Jewish leaders voice alarm after AfD wins over 44% in Saxony-Anhalt election

Election projections in Saxony-Anhalt

Initial projections from the state election in Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September 2026 placed the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in first place with more than 44% of the vote. The result gave the party more than double the share of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Under lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD approached a potential absolute majority of seats in the state parliament in Magdeburg. The party holds an official designation as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization by domestic intelligence authorities. The projection prompted immediate statements from German Jewish community leaders, who expressed alarm over the prospect of an AfD-led state administration.

Central Council warns of policy shifts

Josef Schuster, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, described himself as personally appalled by the outcome. He pointed out that a party classified as right-wing extremist had come close to governing a federal state on its own. Schuster assigned direct responsibility to the electorate for supporting the party despite public knowledge of its platform.

Over the last few months it was clearly evident what goals the AfD is pursuing. Whoever voted for them today, despite or because of these goals, bears the responsibility for this result.

Schuster warned of extensive consequences if the party assumes governmental power, arguing that democratic institutions would face severe strain.

Concerns over education and party leadership

Schuster focused specifically on the risk to state education policy under an AfD administration, identifying education as the central pillar for maintaining an open society and countering antisemitism. He warned that the party could alter curricula and educational structures across schools in the state.

The damage that the so-called Alternative for Germany would cause now, if it attains responsibility, is immense.

He pointed to personnel in the regional branch, particularly deputy state chairman Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, who authored the party's election manifesto and is viewed as a contender for the education ministry portfolio. Tillschneider's extra-parliamentary activities have been under official surveillance by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz) since 2020. Schuster stated that figures like Tillschneider seek to force a departure from the established consensus of the Federal Republic.

Holocaust survivor calls for democratic action

Charlotte Knobloch, the 93-year-old president of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria and a Holocaust survivor, expressed deep distress over the vote. She remarked that on days like this it was difficult to recognize her home country.

That right-wing extremists in Germany win elections again in this manner is something I could not have imagined in my worst nightmares.

Knobloch stated that the result demonstrated that the structure of German democracy was no longer functioning, noting that the outcome caused her fear. She argued that a large portion of the electorate in Saxony-Anhalt had rejected the principles of democracy, security, and prosperity that have allowed Jewish citizens to consider Germany their home. She called on democratic center parties and citizens to actively defend freedom, tolerance, and respect rather than accepting political erosion.