Germany’s far-right party set for big win in eastern state since WWII

Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) is heading for a dramatic victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, far ahead of its mainstream rivals.

Although it is projected to fall short of a majority, the AfD says it has won a mandate to govern. Charismatic leader in the state, Ulrich Siegmund, said it was “sensational” and they wanted to start governing as soon as possible. US President Trump also posted a screenshot of the German TV projection on his Truth Social platform, and then Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev took a screengrab of Trump’s post and praised a “historic win for the pragmatic AfD”.

The anti-migration AfD stands for Alternative für Deutschland. It has not only dominated the election campaign, it is emerging as the dominant force in the result and its supporters believe they are on the march.

This is the first time since the World War II era for Germany to have a leading far-right party. Critics note that some party figures have actively played down the atrocities of the Holocaust, adopted banned Nazi-era slogans, and expressed a desire to undermine representative democracy. Their platform also includes hardline policies such as segregating the children of refugees in schools and initiating mass deportations, which many worry will result in a democratic regression for Germany.