Germany’s far-right AfD says ‘democracy demands’ parties work with them after state election win

Germany's far-right AfD says 'democracy demands' parties work with them after state election win. Image source, ReutersImage caption, Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD's leader in Saxony-Anhalt, says the result is a "clear mandate to govern"ByJessica Parker, reporting from Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Amy WalkerPublished7 September 2026, 11:03 BSTUpdated 3 hours agoThe far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is "very, very close" to taking power in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, its deputy parliamentary leader has told the BBC, after a historic victory in elections there.

What happened

Germany's far-right AfD set for big win in eastern state, just short of majorityPublished8 hours agoMemory wars: Election clash over Germany's Nazi past as AfD eyes power in eastPublished27 AugustAfD celebrate projected win in Saxony-AnhaltPublished22 hours agoGet our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. “Our members include people from a range of backgrounds and professions, who have exercised their right to privacy,” the spokesperson said. ‘They will have spent tens of thousands’An advertising executive, Ed Coper, who worked with Climate 200 and some teal candidates during the 2025 federal election, says the two groups are spending big.

The far-right Alternative for Germany decisively won the state election in Saxony-Anhalt amid growing public discontent with the political establishment. She added that if parties refused to work with the AfD, "then we might end up in severe chaos and maybe we have a new election". The party's plans for Saxony-Anhalt, which include segregating child refugees into special classes and setting up a task-force to help detain and deport migrants who no longer have the right to be in the state, are highly controversial within Germany.

By contrast, France's Europe Minister, Benjamin Haddad, an ally of centrist President Emmanuel Macron, warned "this is a serious moment in Europe, seeing the far-right win in a regional election in Germany". AfD celebrate projected win in Saxony-AnhaltAfD celebrate projected win in Saxony-AnhaltCloseGermany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is celebrating as exit polls show they are set to win more than 44% of the vote in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The wider picture

Coper’s agency, Populares, has tracked their spending using public data and says they spent more on Google and Meta ads than any other state election candidate or party in August. Skip NavigationMarketsBusinessInvestingTechPolitics & PolicyVideoWatchlistInvesting ClubPROLivestreamMenuKey PointsElections in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt over the weekend saw a decisive victory for the far-right AfD. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesA landslide electoral victory for the far-right in the small but significant state of Saxony-Anhalt over the weekend is sending shockwaves through Europe and piling pressure on Germany's federal government.

A so-called "firewall" sees other parties in Germany agree not to cooperate with far-right in a way that would give it political power. While the AfD has been growing in popularity for years, particularly in eastern Germany, the result raises the prospect of the hard right taking power in a German state for the first time since the Nazi era. The public is "furious" and turning to challenger parties on both the left and right after five years of economic stagnation and a lack of job creation at a time when many traditional jobs are being lost in Germany, Altmaier continued.

The far-right party is trying to form a government in the state after falling three seats short of a majority. While most German political parties refuse to work with the AfD, Beatrix von Storch called for its opponents to enter talks and said: "You cannot say, I do not accept the vote of the people".

What has been reported

No far-right party has controlled a German state since World War Two, and governing at state level would mean powers over policing and local education. 1 million and the AfD in the state is assessed by domestic intelligence as "right-wing extremist", a classification rejected by Siegmund, 35. The AfD is currently heading for 39 seats in the 83-seat state parliament instead of the 42 needed for an outright majority, although the result has not yet been finalised. Von Storch told the BBC the AfD was talking to individuals within the CDU group – the largest party in both the state's outgoing coalition and Germany's government – because they were "very, very unhappy with their own party".

They also won the 2024 state election in neighbouring Thuringia, but failed to secure enough seats to win power. Ahead of Germany's federal election last year, US Vice-President JD Vance endorsed the party, in a move criticised in Germany as political interference. Asked about those who had expressed fears over the far-right party gaining power in the state, deputy parliamentary leader Beatrix von Storch told the BBC that its supporters were afraid of "losing our economy, they are afraid of losing our inner security".

Related topicsAlternative for Germany (AfD)GermanyEuropeChristian Democratic Union (CDU)More on this storyGermany's far-right AfD hails big victory in east, but falls short of majorityPublished8 hours agoHow significant are the historic gains of Germany's AfD for the rest of Europe?

What happens next

Published13 hours agoGermany's far-right AfD bids for first taste of power in eastern votePublished2 days ago Image source, ReutersImage caption, AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund says the party has won a clear mandate to governByKatya AdlerEurope editorPublished7 September 2026, 05:07 BST"Seismic", "a socio-political earthquake", "a watershed moment for Germany". This was how political analysts and many media outlets described the stunning victory of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in local elections in Germany on Sunday.

Along with a number of other nationalist parties in Europe, the AfD borrows heavily from the Trump playbook – undermining mainstream media, questioning the neutrality of judges and promising to "make Germany great again". Image source, ReutersImage caption, Crowds waved German flags at the election party after polls closed, where the AfD motto 'anything is possible' was displayedThe AfD's softly-softly approach to Russia has another appeal in Germany's east, which remains far poorer than the west.

Parties across Europe respondAlso watching the Saxony-Anhalt election closely was the European Union. Brussels fears more "extreme" parties, left but particularly right of the political spectrum, may benefit across the board.

The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk, theguardian.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.