‘It breaks my heart’: far-right’s big election victory sparks dismay in German state capital

The Guardian UK Tuesday 08 September 2026, 06:13 UTC By Kate Connolly in Magdeburg 1 min read

Key Points

Fears expressed for immigrants and for country’s future after AfD vote hits historic high in Saxony-AnhaltMaryam and her best friend were ambling through Magdeburg toward the railway station, talking over the dramatic events of the previous evening and the surge by the far-right Alternative für Deutschland to a historically high vote in the Saxony-Anhalt elections. laugh at me,” she said, “but I wish we could go back to the days of Angela Merkel, when things were OK in Germany”.

Fears expressed for immigrants and for country’s future after AfD vote hits historic high in Saxony-Anhalt

Maryam and her best friend were ambling through Magdeburg toward the railway station, talking over the dramatic events of the previous evening and the surge by the far-right Alternative für Deutschland to a historically high vote in the Saxony-Anhalt elections.

“Don’t laugh at me,” she said, “but I wish we could go back to the days of Angela Merkel, when things were OK in Germany”.

German (ORG) AfD (ORG) Saxony (LOCATION) Magdeburg (LOCATION) Deutschland (LOCATION) Angela Merkel (PERSON) Germany (LOCATION)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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‘It breaks my heart’: far-right’s big election victory sparks dismay in German state capital

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