The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party achieved a landslide victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election on September 6, 2026, shaking the federal political establishment.
Opposition leader Friedrich Merz described the result as a shock that cannot be ignored, as the AfD now calls for other parties to consider working with them to form a government.
The win tests the long-standing 'firewall' against far-right influence in German politics and places immense pressure on the federal government to address voter concerns regarding immigration and the economy.