Far‑right AfD poised to win in Saxony‑Anhalt as The Left vows to block power

Less than a month before the regional election in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, Luigi Pantisano, co‑chair of The Left, told public broadcaster ZDF he would do everything to prevent the far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) from taking power.

"We, The Left, have shown in recent years that we take responsibility for this country," Pantisano said on ZDF. He added that one option under consideration would be lending support to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz — a party Pantisano has recently accused of implementing "fascist policies."

The vote is set for 6 September 2026. Polls show AfD polling above 40 percent in Saxony‑Anhalt, a result that could translate into an absolute majority of seats in the state parliament in Magdeburg if smaller parties fail to clear the five percent threshold for entry to the legislature.

What a strong AfD showing would mean

So far AfD has not participated in any governing coalition in Germany’s 16 federal states or at the federal level because other major parties refuse to cooperate with it — a practice described in German politics as a "protective wall" (cordon sanitaire). A victory in Saxony‑Anhalt would mark the first time a far‑right party could lead a state government in postwar Germany.

If AfD falls short of a majority, current state premier Sven Schulze of the CDU could form a government only with support from The Left, which — as the successor to the Socialist Unity Party that governed the former East Germany — currently polls third in Saxony‑Anhalt. The CDU has officially ruled out cooperation with both AfD and The Left; Pantisano said the key question is whether Schulze will be prepared to accept responsibility after the vote.

In an unrelated development noted in the same feed, the Pentagon has ordered the defence industry to urgently ramp up weapons production.

Photo: press material from the event