Germany AfD eastern state elections 2026
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Analysis: The far right's rise in Germany
Europe will stop importing Russian gas by the end of 2027.
Ronald Meinardus said the AfD wants to stop all military and financial support to Ukraine, refuse Ukraine entry into the EU and NATO, and restore relations with Russia and restart Nord Stream.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the CDU's failure to cross the 5 percent threshold in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as a disaster.
German election: Left wins in Berlin amid AfD gains
Elif Eralp is of Turkish descent.
The Left (Die Linke) party won the state election in Berlin.
The Left party does not hold a parliamentary majority in Berlin and will need to form a coalition.
German state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Some branches of the AfD are classified as right-wing extremist by German domestic intelligence, a designation the party strongly rejects.
Friedrich Merz is the Chancellor of Germany and leads the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
The leaders of eight German states backed Merz and said restoring trust in the CDU lay in listening and taking political action, not in debates over personnel.
“If I have to answer yes or no, I would say yes. There are other people who maybe have better feelings for the public.”
German Chancellor Merz calls state election a 'disaster' but vows to stay on
In Berlin, the CDU was expected to be beaten by Die Linke.
Merz said he would forge ahead with his coalition government's plans to push through a package of economic, tax and welfare reforms.
AfD national co-leader Alice Weidel said the AfD is the strongest force and has reached the mainstream of the population.
German state elections: AfD wins and Merz coalition crisis
Die Linke lead candidate Elif Eralp pledged to expropriate more than 200,000 housing units from private landlords in Berlin.
Some branches of the AfD are classed as right-wing extremist by German domestic intelligence.
Merz's popularity rating is 13%, the lowest for any German chancellor since polling began.
“It does not change the fact that Germany faces massive structural challenges due to high energy prices, an over-regulated expensive labour market, heavy exposure to the 'China shock' and demographic decline, and is not well placed to benefit from technological change including AI,”
Eight German state premiers back Merz amid speculation over future
CDU officials were scheduled to meet on Sunday to co-ordinate the party's response to state election results in Berlin and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.
The AfD fell three seats short of an outright majority in Saxony-Anhalt.
The AfD won 43.8% of the vote in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt at the start of September.
Tens of thousands protest against AfD across Germany
Ulrich Siegmund said the people have shown they want political change with the AfD.
The AfD has never joined a governing coalition anywhere in Germany at either state or national level.
Ulrich Siegmund is the AfD state leader in Saxony-Anhalt.
“A broad cross-section of civil society is taking to the streets to prevent the enemies of the constitution, the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, from gaining government power,”
Protests against far-right party AfD across Germany
All mainstream parties have so far refused to govern with the AfD under a policy known as the 'firewall.'
According to police, several thousand more joined separate demonstrations in Berlin.
The AfD is projected to win 39 of 83 seats in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament.
Anti-AfD protesters rally in Cologne after far-right election win
Thousands of protesters rallied in Cologne against the AfD (Alternative for Germany) party.
The AfD won nearly 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt’s state election.
Germany's Merz attacks AfD in stormy debate after far-right election win
The AfD opened the door to working with another party, perhaps the left-wing populist BSW, as long as it backs Siegmund to be state premier.
Siegmund's number two in Saxony-Anhalt suggested Merz's CDU could work with his party if it abandons the firewall (Brandmauer).
The firewall (Brandmauer) is a policy under which no mainstream party will work with the far right.
“nothing other than a synonym for ethnic cleansing in the skilled trades based on skin colour and origin”
Germany's Merz reacts to far-right state election triumph, doubles down on reforms
Merz said giving up is not an option for him.
Friedrich Merz is the Chancellor of Germany.
Merz said his determination to continue the reform course is unbroken.
“nothing less than the future of our country and the opportunities of our children and grandchildren, and we must not squander those. That is why my determination to continue the reform course is unbroken.”
Al Jazeera analysis: AfD is rising but can still be stopped
Germany's domestic intelligence agency has classified the AfD's branch in Saxony-Anhalt as a proven right-wing extremist group.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz insists there can be no co-operation with the AfD.
The AfD has rejected the right-wing extremist label applied to its Saxony-Anhalt branch.
Far-right AfD wins state election in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas referenced the alleged attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport when discussing Russian hybrid threats.
64 percent of surveyed German voters said they viewed the Saxony-Anhalt election outcome with concern.
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) is described as left-wing populist and open to working with the AfD on some issues.
AfD seeks to break Germany's political firewall in historic state election
Ulrich Siegmund is the AfD's lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt.
The AfD is represented in 14 of Germany's 16 state legislatures.
A German court put the BfV's classification of the AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist group on hold in February.
German state election: AfD wins historic victory
The defeated premier of Saxony-Anhalt was the CDU's Sven Schulze.
The AfD in Saxony-Anhalt is classified by domestic intelligence as "right-wing extremist".
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said "in Poland only idiots and traitors can rejoice at the triumph of the AfD".
“historic win for the pragmatic AfD”
Far-right AfD wins state election in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt
US President Donald Trump posted a screenshot of the German TV projection on his Truth Social platform.
No far-right party has won control of a German state since World War II.
The BSW party needed 5 percent of the vote to enter the state parliament.
AfD surges to historic victory in German state election
France's Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad warned that the far right winning a regional election in Germany is a serious moment for Europe.
Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, commented on the AfD result on Sunday night.
This was the first outstanding electoral landslide for a hard right nationalist party in Germany since the fall of the Third Reich in 1945.
“this is a serious moment in Europe, seeing the far right win in a regional election in Germany”
Germany's far-right AfD eyes historic first in state election
Germany's far-right AfD is projected to take power in one of the country's 16 states for the first time.
A win in the Saxony-Anhalt election would be the first time a far-right party has taken control of a regional parliament since the Second World War.
German state elections: AfD bids for historic win in eastern vote
Rally organisers estimated between 15,000 and 20,000 people attended a pro-democracy demonstration the night before the election.
Friedrich Merz is the German Chancellor and leads the CDU.
Martin Reichardt, AfD's state leader in Saxony-Anhalt, told the AfD's youth organisation that Germany had become 'a lazy, anti-social bum reeking of dope'.
“We must address the issues at hand. We must also address our choice of words,”
Germany's political alliance against the far right
The Queer Diversity Association (LSVD+) has represented the interests of LGBTQ+ people since 1990.
The DGB is training its members in constitutional law and civil service law so they can defend themselves.
State legislative elections in Saxony-Anhalt were scheduled to be held on September 6.
Germany's far-right AfD bids for power in eastern state vote
Other parties in Germany will not go into coalition with the AfD, a practice known as the Brandmauer or firewall.
The AfD is officially classed as right-wing extremist in Saxony-Anhalt.
Der Spiegel magazine dubbed Ulrich Siegmund "Germany's Most Dangerous Man".
German far-right leader pushes to forget Nazi past
Tillschneider described Germany's Nazi past as remaining present "like a zombie."
Tillschneider became associated with an extreme AfD faction called Der Flügel alongside Thuringian politician Björn Höcke.
Hans-Thomas Tillschneider is a 48-year-old lawmaker for the AfD party in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
German far-right party targets Bauhaus school ahead of state election
Weimer vowed that Germany's national government would continue to finance the Bauhaus Foundation in Dessau even if the AfD wins the Saxony-Anhalt election.
AfD cultural policy spokesperson Hans-Thomas Tillschneider claimed the Bauhaus violated the human need for security and comfort in every conceivable way.
Up to 150,000 visitors come to Dessau every year to see the Bauhaus building and museum.