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On Sunday, polls opened in the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt in a key regional vote.
More than 1.7 million voters have until 6 pm local time to cast their votes in an election seen as an important test for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s federal coalition.
According to opinion polls, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), led by its top candidate Ulrich Siegmund, is well ahead of the CDU, polling at more than 40%.
A large AfD victory would pile more pressure onto Merz and his increasingly unpopular coalition.
The political atmosphere is intense. And the outcome is still uncertain: according to the ZDF Politbarometer, 26% of eligible voters surveyed shortly before the state election were still undecided.
AfD candidate Siegmund has announced that he would only govern if his party won an absolute majority. Whether the AfD manages to secure an outright majority of seats in the state parliament in Magdeburg will depend on how the smaller parties perform.
The more parties that cross the 5% threshold and enter the state parliament in Magdeburg, the smaller the AfD’s chances of an absolute majority of MPs become.
That is why various groups have called on voters to vote tactically. The AfD, the CDU, the Left, the SPD, the FDP and the BSW have criticised the tactical voting campaign, with only the Greens backing it.
The CDU has ruled out forming a coalition with the AfD. However, Merz’s party could work with other parties. At the same time, the CDU has also ruled out cooperation with the Left party by adopting an incompatibility clause at a party conference.
Polling stations in Saxony-Anhalt are open from 8 am to 6 pm.