Thousands protest across Germany after AfD wins 44% in Saxony-Anhalt

Nationwide demonstrations across German cities

Around 150,000 demonstrators gathered in approximately 20 German cities on Saturday to protest against the Alternative for Germany (AfD). The rallies were organized primarily by Pruef, a campaign group advocating for a constitutional ban on the party, alongside the civil society organization Campact. Large crowds marched through urban centers including Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich, carrying banners with slogans such as "Ban the AfD now" and "Democracy needs no alternatives." Campact estimated attendance at 25,000 participants in Hamburg and 12,000 in Munich, while police in Berlin reported that several thousand individuals joined multiple separate demonstrations across the capital. In response, the AfD staged its own counter-demonstration in Berlin, where party members gathered alongside Kristin Brinker, who serves as the party's lead candidate for the upcoming Berlin regional election next weekend.

Election outcome in Saxony-Anhalt

The nationwide mobilization followed the 6 September 2026 state election in the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD secured almost 44% of the vote. The result placed the party far ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which took roughly 17% of the ballots. Projections indicate that the AfD won 39 of the 83 seats in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, leaving the party exactly three seats short of an outright parliamentary majority. Because the party did not obtain the 42 seats needed to govern alone, its leadership opened formal contacts with other parliamentary groups and individual lawmakers in an attempt to form a state administration. The AfD is known for its anti-immigration stance and friendly posture toward Russia.

Political debate over a party ban

Civil society organizations and protest leaders expressed apprehension over the possibility of the AfD entering government, pointing to Germany's post-1945 democratic institutions and historical responsibility. Speaking during the rallies on Saturday, Christoph Bautz, the head of Campact, explained the purpose behind bringing large numbers of citizens into the streets.

A broad cross-section of civil society is taking to the streets to prevent the enemies of the constitution, the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, from gaining government power.

Demands for federal institutions and mainstream political parties to pursue a legal ban on the AfD grew substantially in the wake of the Saxony-Anhalt vote. Nonetheless, the legal and constitutional requirements for outlawing a political party in Germany are rigorous and difficult to satisfy. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose centre-right CDU has long dominated post-war German politics, has expressed skepticism about taking the legal step of seeking an outright party ban.

Coalition negotiations and party reactions

Following the ballot count in Saxony-Anhalt, AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund addressed party members and declared that voters had delivered a clear message to the political establishment.

The people have made it absolutely clear that they finally want political change and, above all, they have shown that they want it with us.

Although Siegmund had previously asserted that the AfD intended to govern the eastern state alone, he subsequently expressed openness to working with other parties represented in the parliament. All established mainstream parties in Germany have long observed a strict convention known as the firewall, refusing any formal coalition agreements with the AfD at both state and federal levels. If the AfD succeeds in securing coalition partners or legislative support, it would become the first far-right party to lead a German state government since 1945.