People protest and hold placards during a rally called by the organizations Campact and Fridays for Future named "Time to Act: Stop the AfD!" at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Sept. 7, 2026, one day after regional elections in the eastern federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)
Nearly two-thirds of German voters are concerned about the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s victory in Saxony-Anhalt’s state election, a nationwide poll showed.
The Infratest dimap survey for public broadcaster ARD found that 64 percent were worried about the result, while 24 percent welcomed it. Researchers surveyed 1,051 eligible voters across Germany on Sept. 7.
However, 51 percent said other parties should engage more with the AfD in political work. The question did not specifically address coalition agreements.
Respondents were divided over whether the AfD’s lead candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, should be elected state premier, with 45 percent in favor and 48 percent opposed.
According to official results, the AfD won 43.8 percent of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt on Sept. 6, more than doubling its 20.8 percent share in 2021.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) fell to 17.2 percent from 37.1 percent.
The AfD secured 39 of the 83 seats in the state parliament, three short of an outright majority.
The result has left the state facing difficult coalition arithmetic.
Germany’s mainstream parties have long ruled out cooperation with the AfD under the political “firewall” intended to keep the far right out of government.
Forming a majority without the AfD would require all five other parties represented in parliament to work together.
Trump hails AfD's record win
In another development, U.S. President Donald Trump praised AfD after the record result, attributing its rise to opposition to the country’s immigration policies.
“Wow! The Populist Party in Germany just had a really big night,” Trump said on Sept. 8 in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“They finally got tired of the absolutely horrible Immigration rules and regulations which have hurt Germany so badly. THEY ARE ON THE RISE, and not going to take it anymore! MGGA!!!” he added, using an abbreviation for “Make Germany Great Again.”
