BERLIN, September 7. /TASS/. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party secured a decisive victory in the the Saxony-Anhalt election, receiving 43.8% of the vote, the regional election commission said in releasing preliminary official results.

This is the best result the AfD has ever achieved in a German state election, doubling its share of the vote compared to five years ago. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) came in second, losing about half of its votes compared to 2021. The party received only 17.2% of the vote, marking the CDU’s worst performance in Saxony-Anhalt to date. Conservative candidates failed to win a single constituency seat.

The Social Democratic Party of Germany received 9.3% of the vote, Alliance 90/The Greens 8.9%, and the Left Party 8.6%. The BSW (formerly the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance - Reason and Justice party) also entered the state parliament with 5.3% of the vote.

Approximately 1.7 million people were eligible to vote in Saxony-Anhalt. Voter turnout was the highest in the region since German reunification, with about 77.8% of eligible voters casting ballots.

Following the election, the formation of a state government became extremely complex, as all parties except the BSW refuse to cooperate with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Moreover, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party rules out cooperation with the Left Party as well. Meanwhile, the Alternative for Germany party narrowly missed securing an absolute majority. However, it could form a regional cabinet for the first time if it receives support from the BSW.

Experts view the CDU’s defeat as a personal defeat for Chancellor Friedrich Merz and as evidence of the public's rejection of his government's policies, including those regarding Russia.