Pro-Putin AfD storms to historic win as CDU crashes in Saxony-Anhalt

Germany’s AfD has surged to first place in Saxony-Anhalt, with exit polls putting the party at 44.4% against 18.3% for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives. The historic result delivers a major setback for Germany’s political establishment and could strengthen the AfD’s challenge ahead of the 2029 federal election.