Voters in Saxony-Anhalt will cast their ballots next weekend, with polling data suggesting the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) could secure enough seats to govern the state independently. The AfD is currently polling above 40% in Saxony-Anhalt, a significant increase from its support in the 2021 election.
This potential outcome would mark the first time a German state has been governed by the far right since the Second World War. The Saxony-Anhalt AfD party has been classified as a threat to democracy by security services.
The party's manifesto includes proposals such as segregating refugee children in separate schools, a nationalist curriculum, and promoting the "normal family" over "sexual deviations and non-reproductive lifestyles."
Nationally, the AfD's sustained lead in polls suggests a reckoning for mainstream parties. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition government's political approach is reportedly not working, with his own popularity ratings at a record low for any chancellor.