The Alternative for Germany party captures a significant victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party secured 44% of the vote in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, marking its best result since the Nazi period. The party, which domestic intelligence has classified as confirmed right-wing extremist, fell three seats short of an absolute majority. This result has prompted thousands of Germans to stage protests, with rioters at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate denouncing the party's anti-immigrant and pro-Russian stance. Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD's candidate for state premier, aims to form a government by seeking a coalition partner or ruling from a minority position. The party's manifesto includes a radical overhaul of migration policy, including the immediate deportation of irregular migrants and a "remigration" offensive. In education, Siegmund pledged to overhaul school curricula to promote traditional German values and move beyond the Nazi past. The victory has sparked concerns regarding the party's influence on the rest of the nation. The AfD is currently leading in voter intent polls for the upcoming elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin.
Sources
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Anti-AfD protests sweep Germany as far right closes in on two more states
The Guardian
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Mass deportations and separate schools for refugees: The far-right AfD’s vision for Germany
CNN