AfD's Landslide in Saxony-Anhalt Deals Blow to German Chancellor's Firewall

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won nearly 44% of votes in the Saxony-Anhalt state election on September 6, marking its best regional result since the 1950s and dealing a major blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's cordon sanitaire against the party. The AfD secured 39 of 83 state parliament seats, just three short of an absolute majority, while Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) managed only about 17% and 15 seats. The result pressures mainstream parties that have long excluded the AfD over extremism concerns, with high voter dissatisfaction over the federal government's economic performance. The AfD's platform includes deporting illegal immigrants, halting sanctions on Russia and aid to Ukraine, boosting welfare for native Germans, and leaving the EU. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that extremism is expanding across Europe and globally, aided by retreats from traditional right-wing parties.