Far-right AfD set to win Saxony-Anhalt regional vote

On September 5, 2026, regional elections in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt are expected to result in a clear victory for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), led by Ulrich Siegmund. Polls suggest the party may win an absolute majority, which would allow it to break the political 'firewall' and enter government for the first time. The vote has exposed deep divisions within Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which has been losing support. Merz has campaigned against the AfD, but his efforts appear to have backfired, with AfD supporters thanking him for being their 'best campaigner'. A victory would be a sensitive blow to both Berlin and Brussels.