AfD wins historic state election in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt

Germany's right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won a historic state election victory in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, securing 44.5% of the vote compared to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at 18.5%, according to ARD exit polls. The result, described by AfD co-leader Alice Weidel as "historic," represents a major blow to the federal government, with economist Marcel Fratzscher calling it "a vote of no confidence." The CDU's general secretary Franziska Hoppermann rejected cooperation with the AfD, citing its extremist classification, pro-Russia stance, and anti-migration policies. Projections show the AfD winning 39-41 of 82 state parliament seats, short of an absolute majority but potentially able to govern with the left-wing BSW alliance. No far-right party has controlled a German state since World War II, and voter turnout reached an estimated 78% in the state of 2.1 million people.