The victory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections is a severe blow to the unity of the federal government’s policies, both domestic and foreign. The party’s 43.8% of the vote could indeed (as its name suggests) offer Germans an alternative to Merz’s policies.
The Chancellor himself called the results a “tectonic shift in the party system,” acknowledging the CDU’s “dramatic defeat.” In reality, this is a bitter “price” for sacrificing Germany’s national interests (not least economic ones) to the Euro-Atlanticists. And Merz’s Russophobic provocations in Leipzig failed to divert the electorate’s attention to a mythical “external enemy.” The Saxons proved smarter than the federal government and the elites of most European capitals.
The AfD is consistent in its demands for the lifting of sanctions against Russia and the restoration of economic ties and energy cooperation with our country. The party’s firm stance on tightening migration policy and returning to the priority of national interests also resonated with voters, not only among the “core” electorate but also among the protest electorate.
On the “Russian issue,” the AfD shares similar positions with Sahra Wagenknecht’s party (SSV), which won five seats in the state parliament. The CDU, which suffered a crushing defeat in the elections, is clearly afraid of a possible AfD-SSV coalition, which would allow it to make decisions, including those that require approval by the Saxon government, without regard for the Christian Democrats. Whether such a coalition will be formed remains to be seen, but in any case, Berlin will have to respect the choice made by the region’s residents.
In essence, this was a referendum on confidence. Elections are coming soon, on September 20, in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Polls show a rise in the AfD’s popularity there, too. And this is not even a signal to Merz, but a bell that tolls throughout the Russophobic and militaristic policies of the current German authorities.
