AfD wins historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt state election

The far-right AfD won a historic victory in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, emerging as the strongest party with around 44 percent of the vote, while the ruling CDU suffered a dramatic collapse to roughly 18.5 percent. The result leaves the AfD short of an absolute majority and raises questions about the formation of a state government. The CDU's Sven Schulze lost his direct constituency mandate to an AfD candidate, and the party's youth wing demanded the resignation of the entire state leadership. The AfD's success was driven by mobilizing 250,000 previous non-voters, while the CDU secured only 5 percent among voters aged 18-24. The BSW party hovered near the 5-percent threshold, which could affect coalition arithmetic. National reactions were stark, with Schleswig-Holstein's CDU leader calling the result a "shattering moment" and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemning the AfD's triumph. CDU leaders categorically ruled out cooperation with the AfD, while AfD officials signaled openness to talks with other parties, including the BSW.