AfD Projected Victory in Saxony-Anhalt Raises Stakes for Germany’s Jewish Community

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) leads polls for the Saxony-Anhalt state election, projected to win 40-42 % of the vote. If smaller parties miss the 5 % threshold, the AfD could secure an absolute majority and place 35-year-old state lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund in charge—the first far-right head of a German state since World War II.

CNN

The AfD has grown from a protest party to the largest opposition force in the national parliament and the second-largest party overall. In 2025 Germany’s domestic intelligence service classified the AfD as a right-wing extremist organization, a designation the party is contesting in court. Its success is strongest in former East German states, where it uses symbols such as the Simson moped as “East German pride.” Jewish groups have warned that the AfD’s rhetoric threatens Germany’s roughly 100,000-member Jewish population.

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• Infratest dimap polls project 42 % support for the AfD; a Times of Israel poll shows a lead of about 40 % (the CDU trails just over 20 %).

Times of Israel

• Saxony-Anhalt’s population exceeds 2 million; its Jewish community numbers roughly 1,100 members and relies on state funding for security and cultural programs.

Times of Israel

• The 250-page AfD manifesto contains no explicit reference to the Holocaust, calls for “special classes” for children of asylum seekers and labels homosexuality a “sexual deviation.”

Times of Israel

State governments control funding for police, school curricula and cultural institutions, and hold seats in the Bundesrat, whose approval is required for many federal laws. An AfD-led administration could reshape security funding for Jewish communities, alter education policy and influence national legislation through the Bundesrat.

Times of Israel

Max Privorozki, board member of the state’s Jewish association, emphasized that the community must safeguard its existence and Israel’s right to exist, calling pragmatism essential given limited influence over the upcoming political configuration.

Times of Israel

At a campaign rally in Berlin on July 31, 2026, a supporter wore a “Make Germany Great Again” cap, illustrating the party’s alignment with the U.S. MAGA movement. On August 24, 2026, AfD supporters gathered in Naumburg for a rally, underscoring mobilization efforts. Local voter Alexander Winsek told NPR he sees “very good ideas” in the AfD’s immigration proposals while still supporting NATO and the euro.

CNN

Poll figures differ: one source cites a 40 % lead, another a 42 % projection. Intelligence agencies label the AfD extremist, yet the party contests that classification in court, leaving its legal status unresolved ahead of the vote.

NPR

The state election will be held on the upcoming Sunday. If the AfD secures an outright majority, it will join the Bundesrat and potentially influence federal legislation. Should the AfD fall short, the remaining parties—collectively polling at about 54 %—could form a coalition to block the AfD from power. In either scenario, the Jewish community faces a pragmatic decision about how to protect its interests amid a sharply divided political landscape.

CNN