Far-Right Party Poised for Historic Win in Germany’s State Elections

The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) is projected to become the strongest party for the first time in a state election in Thuringia, while running a close second to mainstream conservatives in Saxony. In both states, a newly formed party from the extreme left, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, is expected to place third.

Despite these gains, neither the AfD nor the Wagenknecht Alliance has secured a majority, and coalition negotiations in both states are anticipated to take several weeks.

Context: The state elections in Thuringia and Saxony, located in former East Germany, are being closely monitored as indicators of the growing influence of extremist parties on both the left and right, and the declining support for centrist parties that currently form the federal coalition. A victory for AfD in Thuringia would mark the first win for a far-right party in a state election since the Nazi era.