Germany’s far-right AfD is heading for a big victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, far ahead of its mainstream rivals, according to voting projections.
No far-right party has won control of a German state since World War Two, and governing at state level would mean powers over policing, local education and culture.
It is not yet clear if the AfD vote will be enough to take power in the state but the party says it has won a mandate to govern.
The far-right Alternative for Germany is forecast to win a record 44% of the vote, well ahead of the conservative CDU on 17.8%.
The AfD’s charismatic leader in the state, Ulrich Siegmund, said it was “sensational” and they wanted to start governing as soon as possible.
Saxony-Anhalt has a small population of 2.1 million and the AfD in the state is assessed by domestic intelligence as “right-wing extremist”, a classification rejected by Siegmund.
The AfD’s projected result is higher than earlier opinion polls suggested, and Siegmund along with joint national leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were overjoyed as the news emerged.
“This isn’t just about Saxony-Anhalt,” Siegmund told supporters. “It’s a signal for the whole of Germany – a self-confident signal.”
Jane Hill presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Jessica Parker.
Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews
For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news
#BBCNews
