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Ulrich Siegmund leads Alternative for Germany party into Saxony-Anhalt state elections as far-right party seeks absolute majority

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is entering state elections in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, with the party currently leading in opinion polls. If the AfD secures an absolute majority, it will become the first far-right party to hold power at a state level since World War II. Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD candidate for the premiership, predicted that an absolute majority would allow the party to bypass the "firewall" of noncooperation maintained by mainstream parties. The election serves as a significant test for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. While the CDU party has categorically ruled out working with the AfD, many local politicians favor cooperation. The administration announced that the election results will not endanger the stability of the federal government, though the chancellor has faced criticism for the CDU's inability to have halved AfD support. Security experts have warned that an AfD-led government in Saxony-Anhalt could pose a security risk regarding sensitive data and counterintelligence. The AfD has campaigned on policies of "remigration," anti-Muslim rhetoric, and a desire to return to cheap Russian gas.

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