The Alternative für Deutschland party (AfD) has reached a record high in Saxony-Anhalt, with a new Infratest survey showing 39% support, far ahead of the CDU at 27%, just a year before the 2026 state election.
AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund now has realistic chances of taking office, reflecting a growing shift in voter sentiment in eastern Germany.
Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister-President Reiner Haseloff (CDU) has voiced concern over next year’s state elections and has urged the “political center” to unite against AfD, warning that the election of a governor from the right-wing populist party must absolutely be prevented. He added, “The only positive thing about this poll is that everyone now knows: It’s a do-or-die situation.”
Haseloff dramatically added
It’s either us or them!
To counter further gains by the AfD, Haseloff called for “a new fundamental adjustment” for Germany, stating, “Made in Germany is not a prerogative to be considered a quality mark.”
Haseloff, who has been Minister-President of Saxony Anhalt since 2011, will not run again, with Economics Minister Sven Schulze expected to become the CDU’s top candidate.
A similar desperate move has been seen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where support for the anti-immigration AfD party stands at 38%, prompting the leftist Social Democratic Party (SPD) to launch a desperate fundraising drive. The SPD warned it has “only one year left to turn the tide” and emphasized that cash contributions from voters are “crucial to mount an effective campaign against the AfD.”
