Germany's far-right AfD says 'democracy demands' parties work with them after state election win
The far-right AfD party is seeking coalition partners after a historic near-majority win in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Party leaders are calling for other groups to engage in talks, warning of potential political chaos if they are excluded from governance.
Why it matters
Marks a significant shift in German politics, as the AfD attempts to break the 'cordon sanitaire' that has historically kept far-right parties out of state power.
Image source, Reuters By Jessica Parker , Berlin correspondent and Amy Walker Published 7 September 2026, 11:03 BST Updated Just now The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is "very, very close" to taking power, its deputy parliamentary leader has told the BBC, after a historic victory in elections for the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Sunday's preliminary results show it fell three seats short of an outright majority, with 43.8% of the vote. It is now seeking support from other parties or individuals in order to govern.
While most German political parties refuse to work with the AfD, Beatrix von Storch called for its opponents to enter talks and said: "You cannot say I do not accept the vote of the people".
No far-right party has controlled a German state since World War Two, and governing at state level would mean powers over policing and local education.
Also covering this story
10 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Far-right AfD predicted to win big in crucial German state election
Germany’s far-right AfD wins big in eastern state; first post-WWII victory for a far-right party
German voters head to polls as far-right AfD party eyes historic state win
‘Can no longer be stopped’: AfD races towards historic win in Germany state vote
Voters in eastern German state have blown up post-unification politics
right set for big win in eastern state of Saxony
Far-right AfD claims crushing victory in east German state vote
Germany’s far right party set to win key election
AfD on track for first far-right postwar majority in Saxony-Anhalt
Germany's far-right achieves an electoral breakthrough in key state election
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in