Germany's far-right AfD party expected to win crucial eastern state vote
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has run on a campaign of anti-immigrant and pro-Moscow rhetoric, is expected to handily win Sunday's crucial election in the country's ex-communist East. The AfD's Saxony-Anhalt branch has been categorized as 'right-wing extremist' by Germany's domestic intelligence agency,
- Why it matters
- An AfD victory in an eastern state would mark its strongest regional performance yet and signal growing support for a party classified as right-wing extremist by German intelligence, reshaping the political landscape in a former communist region.
- Most affected
- German mainstream political parties — Face pressure to clarify stance on far-right gains and potential coalition complications.
Voters in Saxony-Anhalt — Will determine whether an extremist-classified party enters regional government. - Likely next
- Whether the AfD forms a governing coalition after Sunday's vote, and how other parties respond to any government role it secures.