German exit polls suggest far-right party has big lead in regional election
Exit polls indicate that the far-right AfD party has secured a significant lead in the Saxony-Anhalt regional election in Germany. This result marks a potential historic shift as the party challenges the traditional dominance of the conservative CDU.
Why it matters
The rise of the AfD in regional elections signals a major shift in the German political landscape, potentially impacting national policy and the stability of the current government.
BERLIN — Germany's far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland, or Alternative for Germany, (AfD) has won the most votes in the closely watched regional election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt according to exit polls.
Projections show the party is comfortably ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), but it remains unclear whether the AfD will win enough seats to secure a majority in the state parliament.
According to exit polls released on Sunday by German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF the AfD is on course to win a record 44.1% to 44.5% of the vote. The Christian Democratic Union is projected to take 18.5%.
The AfD won 20.8% in the 2021 regional election. If the projections are accurate, the CDU has halved its share of voters while the AfD doubled theirs.
Also covering this story
6 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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