AfD surges in Saxony-Anhalt and eyes sole rule in Germany

German far right nears absolute majority in Saxony-Anhalt

Will the AfD govern alone? Early results suggest it will. With 67% of ballots counted, Ulrich Siegmund's party is above 47% of the vote, a result that would give it an absolute majority in the state parliament. It would be the first time since World War II that a far-right party takes power in a German state government. Initial projections (ARD, 18:28) put the party at 44.5%, a gain of 24 points over the previous election. The CDU, Merkel's party, has been cut in half.

A historic upset

The AfD candidate, 35-year-old Ulrich Siegmund, has insisted he will only govern with an absolute majority, rejecting coalitions or outside support. Party leader Alice Weidel already speaks of a "clear mandate to govern." But the arithmetic is stubborn: with 47% of the vote, the AfD would win more than half the seats, rendering any cordon sanitaire ineffective. The key lies with the BSW, Sahra Wagenknecht's party, which sits at 4%, below the 5% threshold. That means its votes are redistributed among the other parties, benefiting the AfD. The remaining parties (CDU, SPD, Greens, Left) have announced they will not make deals with the AfD, but if it holds an absolute majority, it doesn't need them.

The cordon sanitaire in question

The paradox is obvious: the "cordon sanitaire" designed to isolate the far right becomes useless if voters hand it a majority. Analysts suggest the AfD could reach 42 seats, enough to govern alone. Meanwhile, the traditional left is collapsing: its vote is negligible. German democracy faces its biggest test: accepting the result or trying to override it with deals. The irony is that the cordon sanitaire, meant to protect democracy, could become the very tool that weakens it if used to ignore millions of voters.