Germany's Far-Right AfD Wins Historic State Election Victory

Germany's far-right party AfD achieved a historic victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, securing 44% of the vote and 39 of 83 parliamentary seats, though it fell short of the 42 seats needed for an absolute majority. This marks the closest a far-right party has come to winning state power in post-World War II Germany. The AfD campaigned on "remigration" of foreigners, a pro-Russia stance, and plans to shift schools and cultural institutions toward conservative values while curbing immigration and overhauling public broadcasting. A coalition with the far-left BSW party remains a theoretical option, but the AfD has shown no interest in forming one. State premier candidate Ulrich Siegmund called the result a historic moment, claiming it grants the AfD a mandate for "sensible diplomacy" with both Russia and the United States. The party had long led in polls, though a majority was always considered difficult to achieve.