Far-right victory in Germany expected to send shockwaves throughout the world | CBC News

Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured historic win in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday

Voters in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt have overwhelmingly chosen the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to run their government.

It's a historic victory for a once-fringe populist party that's designated as right-wing extremist by local domestic intelligence agencies in numerous states, including in Saxony-Anhalt, and whose members have come under fire for using Nazi slogans.

Some experts say the win Sunday signifies a deep crisis of established politics in Germany and sends a message to right-wing populists around the world, ahead of numerous regional and federal elections in the European Union, that the political tides are in their favour.

"I'm feeling so excited and I'm so proud of our team here in Saxony-Anhalt," Alice Weidel, federal co-leader of the AfD, told CBC News at the election media centre in Magdeburg, the state's capital.

"We have a huge responsibility, not only in Saxony-Anhalt, but in overall Germany."

The AfD in Saxony-Anhalt promises to improve relations with Russia, ban Pride flags in schools and create separate classrooms for refugee children. It calls for "remigration," a term often used in far-right circles to refer to mass deportations of people who come from a migration background.

"No one who is honest, and no one who is accepting our laws and no one who is not illegal in Germany has to be scared because of our party," said AfD Saxony-Anhalt chairman Martin Reichardt.

AfD politicians in Saxony-Anhalt have praised U.S. President Donald Trump as a source of inspiration, even using the catchphrase "Make Saxony-Anhalt Great Again" on the campaign trail, an echo of Trump's MAGA movement.

Some in the United States are already responding to Sunday's win with their congratulations. 

Elon Musk wrote "Gut gemacht!" (which translates to "well done") in response to Weidel's post on X congratulating Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD candidate to lead Saxony-Anhalt, on his win. Musk previously endorsed the party at a rally in Saxony-Anhalt in 2025. 

Trump also posted a screenshot of the preliminary election results to his Truth Social page on Sunday evening.