AfD Wins Thuringia Vote
Germany's far-right AfD scored a historic state election win in Thuringia.
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Updated Sep 8, 9:15pm ETEvery side, every morning
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The reporting
The far-right Alternative for Germany won 43.8% of the statewide second vote in Saxony-Anhalt’s election on Sunday, taking 39 of 83 seats in the state parliament. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union received 17.2%, leaving it more than 26 percentage points behind the AfD. AfD remains three seats short of a majority, so it would need partners or defections to form Germany’s first AfD-led state government. President Donald Trump praised the result and linked it to voter anger over immigration.
Analysis & opinion
Establishment BlameMostly Right
Germany’s political establishment helped create the conditions for AfD’s rise by ignoring the grievances driving voters toward the party. Instead of confronting its own failures, it is trying to isolate AfD and deepen the political crisis.
AfD BreakthroughMostly Right
AfD’s result in Saxony-Anhalt marks a major political breakthrough that has badly shaken Germany’s established parties. The victory could signal broader right-wing momentum beyond the state itself.
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