Germany's far-right AfD projected to win big in Saxony-Anhalt
Initial projections show the far-right AfD party winning a commanding victory in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, though it remains unclear whether this will translate into power to govern.
Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party is projected to have won 44.5% of the vote in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, far outpacing the conservative CDU, which trailed at 18.5%, according to initial projections.
The party has described the outcome as "historic," and its leader in the state, Ulrich Siegmund, has ruled out forming a coalition with any other party. Siegmund celebrated alongside the AfD's national co-leaders, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, as the results came in.
No far-right party has taken control of a German state since the end of World War Two. Governing Saxony-Anhalt, a state with a population of about 2.1 million, would grant control over policing, local education and cultural policy.
Germany's domestic intelligence service classifies the state AfD branch as "far-right extremist," a label Siegmund rejects.
The party's result exceeded what earlier opinion polls had predicted. However, it is not yet certain whether the AfD has won enough seats to govern outright. That will depend on whether smaller parties clear the 5% threshold needed to enter the state parliament — if any of them fall short, the AfD's chances of securing a majority would improve.
