Wahl-O-Mat launches for Saxony-Anhalt election as AfD polls above 40% and CDU incumbent struggles

Wahl-O-Mat goes live

On 6 August 2026, the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb) launched its Wahl-O-Mat tool for the Saxony-Anhalt state election on 6 September 2026. The online instrument presents 38 theses on state policy topics covering areas such as economy, environment, and social affairs. Users can respond to each thesis with "agree," "disagree," or "neutral," weight answers they consider especially important, and then compare their positions with all 15 parties contesting the election. The bpb emphasizes that the tool is an orientation aid, not a voting recommendation.

An independent team developed the theses, comprising young voters from Saxony-Anhalt, experts from academia, journalism, and education, and bpb staff. The team initially submitted 80 theses to all parties admitted to the election, then selected 38 that address key campaign issues and drew divergent responses from the parties. The parties themselves had no role in selecting the theses; they only authored and authorized their own responses and explanations.

Political landscape and polling

The election will determine who governs Saxony-Anhalt for the next five-year legislative period, with 1.78 million eligible voters called to the polls. The CDU has dominated the state for decades, winning 37.1% of the vote in the 2021 election and holding the minister-presidency continuously since 2002. The party currently governs in Magdeburg in a "Deutschland-Koalition" with the SPD and FDP, which took 8.4% and 6.4% respectively in 2021.

CDU37.1%

SPD8.4%

FDP6.4%

CDU

37.1 %

SPD

8.4 %

FDP

6.4 %

Data from the article text

Current Minister-President Sven Schulze (CDU) took office early in 2026 after long-time incumbent Reiner Haseloff stepped aside in his favor, a move intended to let Schulze build name recognition and popularity as the incumbent head of government. According to polls, this strategy has not succeeded. The AfD, led by top candidate Ulrich Siegmund, has led surveys for months at over 40%, while the CDU trails far behind. Siegmund has stated from nearly every platform that the AfD wants to govern, preferably alone. However, recent polling suggests the AfD's chances of securing an absolute majority in the state parliament have diminished.

The Left and SPD are expected to clear the 5% threshold according to recent polls, while the FDP, Greens, and BSW remain at risk of failing to enter the Magdeburg state parliament.

Fiscal and economic pressures

Whoever forms the next government will face a strained budget. Saxony-Anhalt's debt stands at nearly 25 billion euros, with per-capita debt at the state level around 11,500 euros, the highest among eastern German states. The state's heavily industrial economy is feeling the effects of a tense economic situation: companies are losing orders, cutting jobs, and postponing investments, compounded by demographic change.

Campaign themes

Campaign discourse has frequently centered on the AfD and the possibility of an AfD sole government, while federal-level topics have also dominated. Schulze recently weighed in on pension reform, calling for the retention of "Rente mit 63" (pension at 63), which the federal government had agreed to abolish.