Now Germany's firewall confronts its biggest test
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Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a record 44% in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, leaving a small party with seats that could determine whether it can lead the nation's first far-right state government since World War II.
Key facts
- AfD more than doubled its 20.8% share in 2021, hitting its highest vote share ever in a state election and finishing ahead of the center-right CDU at 17%
- Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a record 44% in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, leaving a small party with seats that could determine whether it can lead the nation's first far-right
- AfD has won the most votes once before, in 2024, but it has never governed
- Trump allies' support for the far-right party became a transatlantic flashpoint during Germany's 2025 federal election
Summary
Germany rebuilt its democracy after Nazi rule with unusually strong safeguards against extremism. AfD more than doubled its 20.8% share in 2021, hitting its highest vote share ever in a state election and finishing ahead of the center-right CDU at 17%. BSW, the party that hasn't ruled out working with the AfD, barely cleared the 5% threshold parties need for parliamentary representation. Together, AfD and BSW would hold 43 seats, one more than a majority.