AfD wins big in Saxony-Anhalt as CDU's vote share halves

The AfD achieved its best-ever state election result in Saxony-Anhalt, winning 44 percent of the vote, while the CDU's share halved to 17.4 percent, ending its 24-year dominance. This outcome directly contradicts Chancellor Merz's stated goal of halving the AfD. The CDU's Minister President Sven Schulze congratulated the AfD on its victory. The SPD, Greens, and Left Party followed with 9.2, 8.9, and 8.6 percent respectively, while the BSW hovered near the 5 percent threshold and the FDP failed to enter parliament. The AfD fell short of an absolute majority. AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund seeks to form a government without programmatic compromises, potentially as a minority administration. A CDU-Greens-SPD minority government with Left Party tolerance is also conceivable, though this would strain CDU's traditional demarcation lines.