AfD wins historic state election in Saxony-Anhalt

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 44 percent of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt's state election on Sunday, a historic first-place finish that puts the party within reach of state-level power for the first time since World War Two. The result delivered a major blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives, with 87 percent of voters expressing dissatisfaction with the federal government. The AfD's platform includes restricting immigration, restoring ties with Russia, cutting Ukraine support, and quitting the euro, though mainstream parties have refused to cooperate with it. The AfD, already Germany's most popular party nationally at 28 percent, celebrated the outcome as a step toward federal elections in 2029. Lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund rejected coalition proposals, while US President Donald Trump shared the result online and European far-right leaders cheered the outcome.