Germany's far-right AfD may depend on a party led by a woman with an Iranian father after Saxony-Anhalt vote
Germany's far-right AfD won 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt but is three seats short of a majority. It needs the support of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, which is led by a woman whose father is from Iran.
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In the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the far-right, anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 43.8% of the vote. However, it is three seats short of a majority, so it needs the backing of another anti-immigration party, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW).
An unusual political pairing
BSW is led by a woman whose father is from Iran. A party whose platform centres on curbing immigration could therefore reach power with the help of a political force whose leader has immigrant roots.
Foreign residents in the state
Foreigners make up 7.9% of the population of Saxony-Anhalt, roughly half the German average. In other words, the AfD's strong result came in a region with a relatively small foreign population.
The source does not say whether the AfD and BSW have already agreed to cooperate.
