Former President Donald Trump lauded the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's significant gains in a regional election, characterizing the outcome as a substantial victory for populism. Trump posted on Truth Social that the party achieved "a really big night" and that supporters are "tired of the absolutely horrible Immigration rules and regulations which have hurt Germany so badly."
The AfD secured 43.8% of the vote in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections, surpassing expectations and winning 39 seats in the state's 83-member parliament. This result marks a considerable increase from the party's previous performance in the state, where it garnered only 20% of the vote in 2021.
The AfD's success coincided with losses for the incumbent Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), which saw its seat count drop significantly. Ulrich Siegmund, a leading AfD candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, suggested that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU contributed to the AfD's victory through his campaigning.
Despite the AfD's electoral performance, mainstream German parties, including the CDU, have maintained a stance against forming coalitions with the AfD. Germany's domestic intelligence service has classified the AfD's Saxony-Anhalt branch as an extremist group. Other parties that won seats in the state, such as the Left Party, the Social Democrats, and the Greens, have publicly stated their refusal to cooperate with the AfD.
The AfD's federal chairwoman, Alice Weidel, described the election result as "sensational" and indicated the party is open to collaborating with those who wish to improve Saxony-Anhalt and advance Germany.