Issues arising: AfD win in Saxony-Anhalt

Observations on last Sunday’s elections from Seb Fischer, a DLS member who is currently in Berlin – with some comments from the resulting discussion amongst our members.

The outcome of elections in a small German state, Sachsen-Anhalt (2.1 million population), will have a big impact.

The result is a development long in the making, systematically and carefully prepared by the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) for some 20 years (the party already received just under 25% in Sachsen-Anhalt in their first ever showing in 2016), and a parallel withdrawal by traditional (social) democratic parties from community politics.

Some people ask “what next?” and suggest banning the AfD.

But it needs to be acknowledged that this option has become more difficult to present as credible in the face of democratic endorsement and that there is no panacea to make the nightmare go away.

Firstly, it is part of a worldwide trend, not an isolated incident. Just blaming the Germans won’t cut it.

Secondly, it is a sign of ‘politics replacement’ after (social) democratic parties abandoned community politics and began governing more in global than local interests, with the AfD filling the resulting gap. Interestingly, a majority of AfD voters describe themselves as ‘workers’ – and journalists assessed 60% of last Sunday's AFD voters as definitely not right-wing extremist!

Thirdly, this alienation is compounded by ‘chickens still coming home to roost’ from the brutal takeover and disempowerment of the former GDR population by the West and is also growing fall-out related to the excesses of capitalist wealth concentration in the hands of few.

Add to these factors Ulrich Siegmund (pictured), an extremely popular, populist and strategically sussed top candidate (a Zac Polanski of the right); the role of Sahra Wagenknecht, who many see as a narcissist and a waning darling of the pro-Russian left (she leads the only splinter party prepared to work with the AfD, and has signalled it could allow Siegmund to become governor, by abstaining in a potential third round of voting in the state legislature, in which a simple majority would suffice); the impotence of Germany’s Chancellor Merz; and massive destabilisation efforts exerted by the Trump-US and Putin-Russia and we realise that the nightmare may only just have started.

Some argue it needed this development to focus the mind, but no one offers answers on its reversal. The AfD is not yet in power in Sachsen-Anhalt, but it is on the brink. Wagenknecht’s party may break the firewall and cooperate with the AfD to get Siegmund elected as state leader. There is much speculation on the impact on two further state elections in September: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (another eastern state where the AfD has built significant support) and in Berlin - and speculation on Merz’s future.

But behind this follow further dark clouds in mid-term US elections, in France and elsewhere.

A dramatic response is required, but what can it look like?

Discussion points:

The AfD result is pretty shocking, even if it's been on the cards for a long time. I wonder how best they can be exposed in power if that happens. It seems that Trump has fared poorly under the scrutiny of public opinion now that he is acting without restraint. I wonder if that can be a model for what happens when the hard right get into power?

Once in power, the AfD will start an onslaught on all democratic structures, cutting funds on health, education, inclusion, arts and culture and youth, while simultaneously blaming all institutions to prevent them delivering their democratic mandate, which in any case was never costed or budgeted. Personally, I hope ways can still be found preventing them from getting full state power, through a resolute alliance of democratic parties and organisations. Unfortunately, they have their eyes on many other state and federal battles at the same time.

There must be a hell of a level of alienation from standard politics if they’re getting that level of support. And that will take a long-term approach to recoup voters’ trust in progressive politics. Seems like Die Linke did quite well in the circumstances?

We’re used to seeing alienation measured in low polls, but Sunday’s elections saw one of the highest post-89 (fall of the wall) election participation with just under 80%! The biggest AfD share was from previous non-voters, 170,000 cast their votes for the AfD, the six other parties shared 88,000 votes of previous non-voters between them. This confirms your point that it will take a long-term approach to recoup voters trust in progressive politics … it is true that with 8.6% of the popular vote Die Linke did well under the circumstances, especially in the urban areas of Magdeburg and Halle, where they defied a historic state-wide surge by the AfD.

Question: what about the Greens? How did they do and what is their approach to the situation?

Interesting to note that Mertz’s popularity rating is now down to 13%, plus Germany as a whole is going through a stage of de-industrialisation never seen before with energy prices going up due to the sabotaging of the Nordstream pipeline.

Published 8 September 2026

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