Angela Merkel’s CDU party will remain the largest party in Saxony-Anhalt, according to the latest figures released on Sunday after the state election. The result will undoubtedly come as a huge relief for the CDU, after polls suggested the right-wing AfD would challenge for the top spot.

CDU top the polls in Sanxony-Anhalt

The Christian Democratic Union landed a major victory in the eastern state, despite many predicting that the AfD would cause an upset by topping the polls. The official preliminary results for the 2021 Saxony-Anhalt state election saw the CDU take top spot with 37,1 percent of the vote, while the AfD came in at second place with just 20,8 percent. They were followed by the Left (11 percent), the SPD (8,4 percent), the FDP (6,4 percent) and the Greens (5,9 percent).

The result will likely come as a relief to CDU politicians and supporters alike, after a handful of underwhelming results in recent elections and concerning poll figures. The CDU’s Secretary-General, Paul Ziemiak, described the outcome as a “sensationally good result.” Similarly, Hans Brandt, political correspondent for DW, said the result will “certainly give the CDU a boost.” However, the latter warned that the result does not guarantee a good performance in the upcoming federal elections.

The rise of the AfD

The AfD had been strongly tipped to win the regional vote in Saxony-Anhalt, which would have been a huge loss for Angela Merkel's ruling party, just four months before Germany’s federal elections in September.

Reiner Haseloff (CDU), Saxony-Anhalt’s incumbent state premier, had already ruled out forming a coalition with the AfD, which would have forced the party to look to other parties, like the Left, for assistance. The CDU currently governs Saxony-Anhalt in coalition with the SPD and the Greens, the leaders of which have already voiced their willingness to continue the coalition.

In regard to the exit poll, Annalena Baerbock, who is currently the Greens' first-ever candidate for chancellor, expressed disappointment at her party’s performance. "We hoped for more in this state election,” she said. Despite a relatively poor performance in the east, the Greens have made giant gains in other German states.