AfD leads Saxony-Anhalt election with 40% support

Germany's far-right AfD is the clear frontrunner in Sunday's regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, with polls showing over 40 percent support, though it may not secure the absolute majority needed to govern alone. The state of 2.1 million is currently led by the centre-right CDU, and all major parties have pledged a "firewall" against cooperating with the AfD, whose local branch is classified as "right-wing extremist." A far-right state government would be a first since the Nazi era. The AfD's campaign includes a "remigration and deportation offensive," banning pride flags in schools, and rewriting history books to downplay Nazi crimes. Critics warn its immigration policy would harm the ageing economy, while others fear an AfD-run security apparatus could leak data to Russia.