MOESER — Polls show a large lead for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of the Saxony-Anhalt state election. An election for the state legislature in Saxony-Anhalt is scheduled for Sunday, August 31, 2026.

The AfD is seeking an absolute majority in the Saxony-Anhalt state legislature. The election could produce the first far-right state governor in Germany's post-World War II history. No radical right-wing party has governed at the national, state, or big-city level in modern Germany.

"If AfD wins the election and forms the government, that would be kind of breaking a taboo in Germany," said Wolfgang Merkel. Merkel is a political science professor with the WBZ Berlin Social Science Center. He stated that if the AfD does not win an absolute majority, it is unlikely to govern due to a lack of potential coalition partners. Merkel believes Saxony-Anhalt is too small to have any particular impact on the national government.

Ulrich Siegmund is the AfD candidate for governor. He is 35 years old. Siegmund has served as a member of the Landtag of Saxony-Anhalt since 2016. He has served as co-group leader of the AfD in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament since 2022.

"This is a historic opportunity that we have here in Saxony-Anhalt," said Siegmund. "We will write history here." He listed the deportation of people who are illegal and a deportation offensive as top priorities. Siegmund wants to initiate a process to withdraw Saxony-Anhalt from the regional public broadcaster, citing concerns about disinformation.

"No one here needs to be afraid, quite the contrary," said Siegmund. "Every honest person in Saxony-Anhalt will benefit from an AfD-led government." The AfD wants to allow home schooling in Saxony-Anhalt. Home schooling is not currently permitted in Germany.

The party pledges to ban schools from officially raising the rainbow flag in Saxony-Anhalt. It also pledges to ensure schools in Saxony-Anhalt fly the national flag.

The AfD opposes using taxpayer money for Ukraine and says it would push to lift sanctions against Russia. Lifting sanctions against Russia is not a matter state governments can decide. The domestic intelligence agency has classified the AfD's regional branch in Saxony-Anhalt as a proven right-wing extremist group. The AfD rejects accusations of extremism.

Sven Schulze is the incumbent governor of Saxony-Anhalt. He is a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The CDU has led the state government of Saxony-Anhalt since 2002.

Magdeburg is the capital of Saxony-Anhalt. Schulze stated he will not work with the AfD.

"AfD wants the past back," said Schulze. "The state would face isolation with AfD in power." He said the far right effectively doesn't want to have anyone here who was born abroad and lives and works here. "AfD does one thing — it describes problems," said Schulze. "It never has a solution for a problem." Unemployment in Saxony-Anhalt has decreased since Germany was reunited in 1990.

Friedrich Merz is the Chancellor of Germany. In the previous year's national election, the AfD received 20.8% of the vote. The AfD became Germany's biggest opposition party following the previous year's national election.

Germany has a total population of 83.5 million people. Saxony-Anhalt has a population of 2.1 million people. The state is located west of Berlin. Germany has 16 states. German states have powers including overseeing security matters and running the education system. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) was founded 13 years prior to the 2026 election. Elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are scheduled for September 20, 2026. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is an eastern state of Germany.

Why It Matters

The potential victory of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt represents a shift in the political landscape of Germany, where no radical right-wing party has previously held executive power at the state level. The classification of the AfD's regional branch as a proven right-wing extremist group by domestic intelligence adds complexity to the prospect of governance, particularly regarding coalition possibilities which political science professor Wolfgang Merkel notes are limited without an absolute majority.

The outcome in Saxony-Anhalt precedes other regional elections, including those in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania scheduled for September 20, 2026. While Chancellor Friedrich Merz has characterized the national political climate as one of widespread moroseness, the specific policy proposals of the AfD candidate, such as changes to education and media funding, reflect the distinct powers held by German states in areas like security and schooling.

Timeline

The AfD elected its first head of a county administration in Thuringia in 2023. On November 25, 2023, Ulrich Siegmund took part in the Potsdam far-right meeting.

What's New

Research titled "Right-wing populism and religion in Germany: Conservative Christians and the Alternative for Germany (AfD)" was published in 2018 in Zeitschrift für Religion, Gesellschaft und Politik. Ulrich Siegmund has served as a member of the Landtag of Saxony-Anhalt since 2016. Ulrich Siegmund has served as co-group leader of the AfD in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament since 2022.

The Saxony-Anhalt state parliament voted to remove Ulrich Siegmund from his role as chair of the social affairs committee in February 2024 due to his participation in the Potsdam meeting. Saxony-Anhalt is state of Germany.