AfD's Saxony-Anhalt win raises concerns for Holocaust remembrance

The far-right AfD won a historic victory in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt state election on September 6, securing 43.8 percent of the vote and 39 of 83 parliamentary seats, just three short of an absolute majority, raising concerns about the future of Holocaust education and remembrance policy. The party's leader, Ulrich Siegmund, has faced criticism for refusing to call the Holocaust the most horrific crime in history and for using Simson mopeds, a brand founded by a Jewish family, as campaign symbols. The AfD plans to abolish the State Center for Political Education, cut funding for memorial site trips, and eliminate state funding for the German Lost Art Foundation. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which holds five seats and is critical of Israel, may hold the balance of power, as it has ruled out a formal coalition with the AfD but is open to cooperation on specific issues.