Voters in Saxony-Anhalt go to the polls on Sunday in a state election that could see the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) become the first party outside Germany's mainstream CDU/CSU and SPD to win an outright majority in a state parliament since the Second World War. Analysts say a win would carry huge symbolic weight, breaking the political establishment's "firewall" (Brandmauer) whereby other parties refuse to cooperate with the AfD, even though its actual policy influence would be limited by Germany's federal system.

The AfD, backed by Elon Musk during last year's national election, campaigns on tighter immigration controls, closing borders, exiting the Schengen area, and deporting Syrian refugees, and has been officially classified as a "confirmed right-wing extremist" group by Germany's domestic intelligence agency. It is currently the second-largest party in the Bundestag, having won 20.8% of the vote in February 2025's federal election, and support appears strongest among working-class and younger voters in the former East Germany. Party co-chair Alice Weidel has called for stripping Syrians of protected status and mass deportations, citing concerns over "Islamization" and unchecked migration.