AfD courts conservatives after winning Saxony-Anhalt state election

The far-right Alternative for Germany won nearly 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt's state election, surging into first place and appealing to conservative lawmakers to support its bid to rule the eastern German state. The anti-immigrant, pro-Russia party won 39 of 83 seats, short of an absolute majority, and hopes to win over individual Christian Democrats despite the mainstream "firewall" policy against cooperation. The CDU's vote share nearly halved to 17.2%, with about 83,000 former CDU voters switching to the AfD. French and Polish officials called the result a worrying signal, while analysts warned the AfD's goal of leaving the euro threatens the single currency's long-term stability. The party aims to win at least 40% in Germany's 2029 national election.