AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt election but falls short of majority

Germany's far-right AfD won the Saxony-Anhalt state election with 43.8% but failed to secure an absolute majority, taking 39 of 83 parliamentary seats. The party must now seek coalition partners to form a government. The AfD more than doubled its 2021 result, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU collapsed to 17.2%, down from 37.1%. Other parties cleared the threshold: SPD at 9.3%, Greens at 8.9%, Die Linke at 8.6%, and BSW at 5.3%. Voter turnout reached 77.8%, the highest in Saxony-Anhalt since German reunification, compared to 60.3% in 2021. AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund has ruled out a minority government, citing stability concerns.