AfD prepares for new elections in Germany after victory in Saxony-Anhalt
In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party seeks to build on its success after winning the state election in Saxony-Anhalt. The party’s next test will be municipal elections in the western state of Lower Saxony, followed a week later by state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
In the Saxony-Anhalt election on September 6, AfD won 43.8% of the vote and 39 of the 83 seats in the state parliament. The party fell short of the seats needed for an absolute majority. This is the largest result by the far right in a state election in Germany since World War II, The Jerusalem Post reports.
Polling positions
According to polls, AfD leads in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with support of about 35%. In Berlin, which has long been a stronghold of left-wing political forces, AfD is competing for first place with the center-right Christian Democratic Union and the left-wing party The Left: all three forces have about 20% support.
Gideon Botsch, head of the research unit on antisemitism and right-wing extremism at the University of Potsdam, said that AfD is now almost fully mobilizing its own electorate and potential voters, while its democratic competitors face greater difficulties in doing so. According to him, the party’s popularity reflects voters’ dissatisfaction with the main governing parties, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU, amid a sluggish economy.
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Possible impact on local government
Roger Stöcker, a political scientist at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, expects AfD to perform more weakly in Lower Saxony than in the east of the country. At the same time, he considers it strategically important for the party to strengthen its presence in local councils, as well as potentially win positions in municipalities or district administrations.
Following its result in Saxony-Anhalt, AfD needs partners to form a coalition. Its nationalist program in the region envisages teaching children less about Hitler, banning Pride flags in public buildings, and requiring artists and cultural organizations to declare that they will not “demean Germany and its culture” if they seek state funding.
Remko Leemhuis, director of the Berlin office of the American Jewish Committee, said that AfD’s strong result, even without joining governing coalitions, would cause serious concern among Jewish residents because of the party’s possible influence. AfD co-chair Alice Weidel has already stated that the party aims to receive at least 40% of the vote in the next federal election in 2029.
