The upcoming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, 2026, are being followed with great interest both nationally and internationally. Despite the AfD’s historically high share of the vote, a coalition between the CDU, the SPD, the Greens, and The Left is emerging as a possible governing option—provided all parties clear the five-percent threshold. In this scenario, Schulze would remain in office as Minister-President.
In this context, Bonn-based political scientist Volker Kronenberg points to a paradox in the current political landscape: From the CDU’s strategic perspective, an election result giving the AfD an absolute majority could, paradoxically, be a relief, as it would spare the party from having to form a broad, multi-party coalition. This assessment highlights the structural predicament in which the CDU finds itself: Due to an internal party resolution declaring incompatibility, coalitions with the Left Party are ruled out, which significantly narrows the scope for forming a government without AfD participation.
For his part, Minister President Schulze has taken a clear stance against dependence on the aforementioned fringes of the political spectrum and rules out political cooperation with both the Left Party and the AfD.