Voters in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt head to the polls this Sunday for regional elections where Alternative for Germany could take first place. Persistent divisions between East and West nearly four decades after reunification are cited to explain this dynamic.
The German far-right could reach a symbolic milestone this Sunday in Saxony-Anhalt. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is predicted to win the regional vote in this state of the former East Germany, a result that would mark a new stage in the movement’s progress at the level of federal states.
Elisabeth Kaiser, federal government commissioner for East Germany, points to East-West divisions as one of the structural factors fueling this vote. Despite thirty-six years since reunification, these divides continue to influence electoral behavior in the eastern states, where the AfD regularly achieves its best national scores.
Saxony-Anhalt fits this pattern: the party has a solid base there, cultivated over several election cycles. A victory on Sunday would be a first in a German state and would increase pressure on traditional parties, already weakened in this region by structural abstention and distrust of centrist parties.
