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Germany's far-right AfD won a historic 43.8% in Saxony-Anhalt state elections, falling just three seats short of an outright majority and demanding other parties enter talks to let it govern — the strongest far-right result in a German state since WWII.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**AfD** won 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, securing 39 of 83 state parliament seats — three short of an outright majority — in what would be the first time a far-right party governs a German state since World War II.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Beatrix von Storch**, the AfD's deputy parliamentary leader, told the BBC that "democracy demands" rival parties enter talks, warning that refusal could mean "severe chaos and maybe we have a new election."

📎 SkimNews has covered AfD 12+ times · see the file →

Germany's far-right AfD says 'democracy demands' parties work with them after state election win — SkimNews

By BBC World · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-09-07

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AfD won 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, securing 39 of 83 state parliament seats — three short of an outright majority — in what would be the first time a far-right party governs a German state since World War II.
Beatrix von Storch, the AfD's deputy parliamentary leader, told the BBC that "democracy demands" rival parties enter talks, warning that refusal could mean "severe chaos and maybe we have a new election."
Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the result "seismic," said he was "deeply shocked," and conceded the CDU's share of the vote was almost halved to 17.2%, adding that "business as usual" was no longer possible.
Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD's state leader, declared a "clear mandate to govern" and said outreach to other parties was underway, potentially lasting days or weeks, with the left-wing BSW's five seats floated as possible tacit support.
The AfD's Saxony-Anhalt branch is classified by domestic intelligence as "right-wing extremist" and is pursuing controversial policies including segregating child refugees into separate classes and a task-force to detain and deport migrants.
US President Donald Trump posted a screenshot of the projected results on Truth Social, prompting Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev to praise a "historic win for the pragmatic AfD" — following earlier JD Vance endorsement of the party that drew German criticism as political interference.
Polish PM Donald Tusk countered that "in Poland only idiots and traitors can rejoice at the triumph of the AfD," reflecting sharp divisions over the result across Europe.

Why it matters: The result, described as "seismic" by Merz himself, cuts the CDU's vote nearly in half (17.2%) and puts Germany's postwar firewall against the far right under its most serious stress test, with the AfD now leading national polls. If even informal BSW support materializes, the AfD would govern policing and education in Saxony-Anhalt despite being officially classified as "right-wing extremist" — and Trump-plus-Kremlin endorsements suggest the party has external backers eager to see it succeed.