Germany’s far-right AfD win eastern state but unclear if they have enough to take power

By Thom Poole, Sebastian Shukla, CNN

(CNN) — ‌The far-right Alternative for Germany scored a historic victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, exit polls showed on Sunday, dealing a blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives, but it was unclear whether the result would be enough to govern.

The AfD won 44.5% of the vote, according to exit polls of ARD broadcaster, up from 20.8% in 2021.

Merz’s CDU fell to 18.5% from 37.1% in 2021, a setback in a state the conservatives have governed since 2002.

Most parties have ruled out joining an AfD-led coalition, meaning the party would likely need a majority of seats to take power.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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