German far-right AfD wins landslide in eastern state vote, exit polls say

By Agencies and ToI Staff 6 September 2026, 7:32 pm

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A sign held up as Ulrich Siegmund, top candidate in the Saxony-Anhalt state election for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, addresses a campaign event in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, on September 5, 2026, one day before regional elections in the eastern federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. (Ronny HARTMANN/AFP)

Germany’s far-right AfD won key regional elections today by a landslide with at least 44 percent of the vote in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, exit polls by two public broadcasters say.

The result could bring to power the first far-right state government in the nation’s post-World War II history.

The AfD was far ahead of the center-right CDU of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which stood at 18.5 percent, but it was too early to say whether the far-right party would win an absolute majority, say public broadcasters ARD and ZDF.

Alice Weidel, co-leader of AfD, says the party has a clear government mandate after the state election and will talk to all parties.