On the eve of Saxony-Anhalt's state election, Germany confronts a question it has not faced since the darkest chapter of its history: whether a far-right party can become the dominant political force in a German state. Thousands marched through Magdeburg in defense of democratic values as the AfD, polling above 40 percent and formally classified as a right-wing extremist organization by federal intelligence, stood poised for a historic breakthrough. The moment tests not only the resilience of Germany's post-war political consensus, but the capacity of democratic societies to hold their shape w
Democracy marches challenge far-right AfD surge ahead of Saxony-Anhalt election
You cannot build a future on hatred and incitement.
Mark
So the AfD is going to win the most votes on Sunday. That's already decided, isn't it?
Mimi
The polls show them at over 40 percent, which is a commanding lead. But winning the most votes and forming a government are two different things in Germany's system.
Luke
Right—and that's the crucial detail. The AfD doesn't have a majority. They need coalition partners, and every mainstream party has explicitly refused to work with them.
Mark
So what happens if they win but can't govern?
Mimi
That's the deadlock everyone's watching. There's no established precedent for this situation in post-war Germany. The parties will have to figure it out.
Luke
The source doesn't say what the legal or procedural options are. We know the refusal is there, but the actual mechanics of what comes next—that's still unclear.
Mark
Why are so many people marching against them if they're already winning?
Mimi
Because the election hasn't happened yet. The marches are partly about trying to shift momentum, but also about making a public statement that democracy and diversity still matter to a significant portion of the population.
Luke
The source says 6,000 marched, then 3,000 more joined at Cathedral Square. That's substantial, but it's worth noting we don't have comparable numbers for the AfD rally to know the relative scale.
Mark
What did Merz actually accomplish by speaking out?
Mimi
He made clear that the government opposes the AfD's rhetoric and vision. But his own approval rating is only 14 percent, so his political standing is weak.
Luke
That's a real constraint on his ability to shape the narrative. A chancellor with that little public support can warn against extremism, but it's not clear how much weight it carries.
Il Polso
- For the first time since World War II, a far-right party is on the verge of winning the most votes in a German state election — a threshold that carries enormous symbolic and institutional weight.
- Roughly 9,000 people flooded Magdeburg's streets in a 'march for democracy,' carrying signs against hatred and Nazism, while the AfD held its own final rally in the same city on the same day.
- Germany's president and chancellor issued urgent public warnings against ethnic nationalism and political nihilism, even as the chancellor himself registered only 14 percent approval in national polling.
- Even a decisive AfD victory may produce paralysis: mainstream parties refuse coalition with the far right, and no smaller party has offered to support an AfD-led government, leaving no clear path to governance.
- The election will settle whether the AfD has achieved true dominance in eastern German politics — but what follows that answer remains, as one expert put it, deeply and dangerously uncertain.
On the eve of Saxony-Anhalt's state election, Germany confronts a question it has not faced since the darkest chapter of its history: whether a far-right party can become the dominant political force in a German state. Thousands marched through Magdeburg in defense of democratic values as the AfD, polling above 40 percent and formally classified as a right-wing extremist organization by federal intelligence, stood poised for a historic breakthrough. The moment tests not only the resilience of Germany's post-war political consensus, but the capacity of democratic societies to hold their shape when the forces that once shattered them return through the ballot box.
The day before Saxony-Anhalt went to the polls, two visions of Germany's future collided in the streets of Magdeburg. Roughly 9,000 people joined a march organized by a coalition called 'Saxony-Anhalt: Open to the World,' moving from the central station to Cathedral Square with signs reading 'more love, less hate' and 'a better life without Nazis.' Trade unions, church groups, and civic organizations marched together in what they framed as a public stand for respectful coexistence.
What they were marching against was a political transformation already well underway. The AfD, polling above 40 percent, stood poised to become the largest party in Saxony-Anhalt's parliament — the first time a far-right party would win the most votes in a German state election since World War II. Germany's federal intelligence service has formally classified the AfD's state branch as a right-wing extremist organization, lending institutional weight to what the marchers expressed in the streets.
German leaders responded with urgency. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, without naming the AfD directly, called democracy 'a blessing for us all' and warned that 'you cannot build a future on hatred and incitement.' Chancellor Friedrich Merz was more pointed, citing the AfD's state leader in Saxony-Anhalt, who had described the modern German state as 'a lazy, anti-social bum reeking of dope.' Merz insisted Germany would not be talked down — though he himself entered the campaign cautiously, making only two closed-door visits to the state.
The harder question arrives after the votes are counted. Even a commanding AfD result will not easily translate into governance: the party lacks a path to an outright majority, and every mainstream party has ruled out coalition with the far right. No smaller party has offered formal support for an AfD-led government, leaving a potential deadlock with no established precedent for resolution.
One expert on right-wing extremism noted that the democracy marchers displayed a 'paradoxical confidence' — the capacity to mobilize even while under pressure. Whether that confidence can shape political outcomes, or whether Sunday's result will simply expose how far the ground has already shifted, remained the open and unsettling question hanging over Saxony-Anhalt.
On Saturday, September 5th, the day before Saxony-Anhalt's state election, two competing visions of Germany's future took to the streets of Magdeburg. Thousands of people marched through the capital in what organizers called a "march for democracy," moving from the central station to Cathedral Square. Police counted roughly 6,000 people in the initial procession, with another 3,000 joining at the destination. They carried signs reading "more love, less hate" and "a better life without Nazis." The march was organized by a coalition called "Saxony-Anhalt: Open to the World," drawing contingents from trade unions, church groups, and civic organizations who wanted to make a public stand for what they described as "respectful coexistence" in their state.
They were marching against a political force that has fundamentally altered the landscape of eastern German politics. The Alternative for Germany, known as the AfD, is poised to become the largest party in Saxony-Anhalt's parliament on Sunday—a historic moment. For the first time since World War II, a far-right party could win the most votes in a German state election. Current polling shows the AfD commanding over 40 percent support, far ahead of any competitor. Germany's federal intelligence service has formally classified the AfD's Saxony-Anhalt branch as a right-wing extremist organization.
The same day the democracy marchers filled Magdeburg's streets, the AfD held its own final campaign rally in the state capital. Police registered twelve separate events across Magdeburg and Halle on Saturday—eight in Magdeburg alone, including a human chain for democracy and a democracy-themed cycling tour. The scale of mobilization on both sides reflected the stakes. What happens in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday will test whether Germany's post-war political consensus can hold when a far-right party achieves genuine electoral dominance.
German leaders responded with urgent warnings. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who steps down from office in March after ten years, spoke at a community festival in Bonn about democracy as an "achievement" and "a blessing for us all." He did not name the AfD directly, but his message was unmistakable: "Ethnic-based thinking and nationalist isolationism are simply not the answer to the challenges of the 21st century." He cautioned that "you cannot build a future on hatred and incitement." Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking in neighboring Lower Saxony, was more direct. He referenced recent comments by the AfD's state leader in Saxony-Anhalt, Martin Reichardt, who had described the modern German state as "a lazy, anti-social bum reeking of dope." Merz said such rhetoric revealed "what these people think of our country." He insisted: "We will not let these people talk our country down." Merz also reminded listeners that Germany "can look back on a success story spanning almost 80 years" and remains "one of the most prosperous countries in the world" and "one of the safest countries in the world."
Merz himself remains politically fragile. A Trendbarometer survey published by broadcaster RTL earlier in the week showed just 14 percent of respondents satisfied with his work as chancellor. He has kept a low profile in Saxony-Anhalt during the campaign, making only two visits to hold closed-door meetings with CDU candidates in the towns of Quedlinburg and Leuna.
The real challenge lies ahead. Even if the AfD wins the most seats on Sunday, forming a government will prove extraordinarily difficult. The party lacks an outright majority, and mainstream parties across the political spectrum have ruled out any coalition with the far right. No smaller party expected to enter parliament has offered formal support for an AfD-led government. The AfD could take office only if it somehow secured a majority of seats—a threshold the current polling suggests it will not reach. This creates a political deadlock that German lawmakers will have to navigate in the weeks after the election, with no clear path forward and no established precedent for how to proceed.
Heike Kleffner, an expert on right-wing extremism, observed in an interview with the Tagesspiegel that the democracy marchers displayed what she called a "paradoxical confidence"—the ability to mobilize democratic masses despite being under attack. Whether that confidence can translate into political outcomes remains to be seen. Sunday's election will answer one question decisively: whether the AfD has truly become the dominant force in eastern German politics. What comes after that answer is far more uncertain.
Citazioni salienti
We will not let these people talk our country down.— Chancellor Friedrich Merz
You cannot build a future on hatred and incitement.— President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
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Politics & Governance