Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is heading into Sunday’s state election in Saxony-Anhalt with a significant lead in opinion polls, raising the prospect of a major political breakthrough in one of the country’s eastern states.
An outright majority for the AfD would be unprecedented in Germany’s postwar history, potentially placing a far-right party in control of a state government for the first time since the end of World War II in 1945.
The election is being closely watched beyond Saxony-Anhalt because of Germany’s historical experience with Adolf Hitler’s Nazi dictatorship, which collapsed in 1945 after World War II. Germany’s postwar political system was deliberately built around democratic safeguards designed to prevent a return to authoritarian rule.
The AfD, founded in 2013, initially emerged as a Euroskeptic party but has since shifted sharply to the right, becoming particularly influential on issues including immigration, national identity and opposition to Germany’s established political order. German authorities have faced repeated scrutiny over elements of the party and its networks, including concerns about extremist tendencies.
A strong AfD performance in Saxony-Anhalt could further reshape Germany’s political landscape, particularly in the former East Germany, where the party has built substantial support. The result could also intensify a national debate over how Germany’s mainstream parties should respond to the growing influence of the far right while maintaining the democratic principles that have defined the Federal Republic since 1949.
