AfD set for landslide victory in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt election – exit polls
The opposition right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is projected to win Sunday’s regional election in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt with 44.5% of the vote, according to exit polls. The vote was marked by a high voter turnout, German media outlets have reported.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party is set to finish a poor second, securing just over 18% of the vote, preliminary data has indicated.
AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund has said the party is ready to “extend a hand to all democratic forces that wish to pursue better policies.”
AfD co-chair Alice Weidel did not rule out forming a coalition government in the eastern German region, including with Merz’s Christian Democrats, should the right-wing party fail to secure an absolute majority.
While the vote count is still underway in Saxony-Anhalt, Sven Schulze, the CDU lead candidate and the outgoing regional head, has conceded defeat, congratulating the AfD on its electoral success.
“That’s democracy,” Schulze said, adding that voters have sent a clear message which must be heeded, both at the regional and federal levels, as quoted by German media.
Schulze attributed his party’s poor showing to the unpopular policies pursued by the federal coalition government, which is comprised of the CDU and the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
