tagesschau 20:00 Uhr, 07.09.2026

The day after the election in Saxony-Anhalt, the numbers are stark. The AfD more than doubled its vote share to 43.8%, making it the undisputed winner, while the CDU collapsed to 17.2%. The SPD and Greens made slight gains to 9.3% and 8.9% respectively, the Left Party sits at 8.6%, and the newly formed BSW entered the state parliament with 5.3%. The FDP failed to cross the threshold. But despite the clear victory, the situation for the AfD is complicated: its leader, Ulrich Sigmund, is three seats short of an absolute majority. This has set off a scramble for additional support.

The Path to Power and the Pressure on Berlin

Sigmund has signaled he will hold talks to see if any individual factions or lawmakers from other parties will work with him. Only the BSW has left the door open. The party has stated it wants a non-partisan minister-president, but it would not vote against Sigmund. By abstaining in the third round of voting, the BSW could effectively allow Sigmund to be elected. The CDU, for its part, is reeling. Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the result as the worst defeat for the CDU in decades and acknowledged his own role in it. He said many people do not follow his thoughts or his agenda, calling that his "responsibility."