AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt election but misses majority

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a regional election in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday but fell three seats short of an absolute majority, preventing it from forming Germany's first far-right state government since World War II. The party won 43.8% of the vote, more than double its 2019 result. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union suffered a disastrous defeat, polling 17.2% and losing about half its support, while the Social Democrats, Greens, and Left Party each won around 9%. AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund declared "we have written history" and claimed a clear mandate to govern, though mainstream parties maintain a "firewall" refusing to cooperate with the party. The AfD's regional branch is classified as a proven right-wing extremist group by German intelligence, promoting "remigration" policies and opposing sanctions on Russia. The result is a major blow to Merz, whose party has led the state for 24 years, with AfD co-leader Alice Weidel calling the outcome "sensational."