AfD defeated Merz's CDU with 43.8% in Saxony-Anhalt

The far-right Alternative for Germany defeated Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU in Saxony-Anhalt about two weeks before September 20, 2026, winning 43.8% and falling just short of an absolute majority. Merz governs federally with the SPD. How he manages that partnership under AfD pressure will shape Germany's room for manoeuvre in Europe.