AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt vote, CDU punished

Alternative für Deutschland won 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt's state election, doubling its support but falling short of an absolute majority needed to govern alone. The CDU dropped to 17.2%, while SPD, Greens, and Linke entered parliament. Sahra Wagenknecht's Alliance cleared the 5% threshold with five seats and signaled openness to cooperating with AfD, though AfD's Ulrich Siegmund called the party an unreliable partner. Turnout hit a record 78%. If no candidate wins an absolute majority in two rounds, a simple majority suffices in the third, potentially allowing Siegmund to become minister-president with BSW abstentions. He has threatened new elections if unable to form a government.