The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is “very, very close” to taking power, its deputy parliamentary leader has told the BBC, following a historic victory in elections for the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Preliminary results released on Sunday indicate the party fell three seats short of an outright majority, securing 43.8% of the vote. Consequently, the AfD is now seeking support from other political parties or individual lawmakers to form a government.
Although most German political parties refuse to cooperate with the AfD, Deputy Leader Beatrix von Storch has urged opponents to enter negotiations, stating, “You cannot say I do not accept the vote of the people.”
No far-right party has controlled a German state since World War II. Assuming governance at the state level would grant the party authority over policing and local education policies.
Von Storch asserted that the state’s results “are on the table and now democrats must talk to one another. This is what democracy demands.”
She further warned that if other parties refuse to work with the AfD, “then we might end up in severe chaos and perhaps face a new election.”
These sentiments were echoed by AfD leader in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, who stated at a news conference on Monday that the party had won a “clear mandate to govern.”
Saxony-Anhalt has a small population of 2.1 million. Domestic intelligence has classified the state’s AfD branch as “right-wing extremist,” a designation that the 35-year-old Siegmund rejects.
The party’s proposed plans for Saxony-Anhalt are highly controversial within Germany. These measures include segregating child refugees into special classes and establishing a task force to assist in detaining and deporting migrants who lack the right to remain in the state.
Siegmund noted that discussions with other parties were initiated on Sunday night and could potentially take days or weeks to conclude.
“We reach out to everybody first; we will have consultations and then see whether individual parliamentary groups or members of parliament are willing to assist us,” he added.
The AfD is currently projected to secure 39 seats in the 83-seat state parliament, falling short of the 42 seats required for an outright majority, though the result has not yet been finalized.
Von Storch told the BBC that the AfD was engaging with individuals within the conservative CDU, the largest party in both the state’s outgoing coalition and the national government, because they were “very, very unhappy with their own party.”
According to preliminary results, the CDU won 17.2% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt.
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