Saxony-Anhalt votes amid economic discontent, immigration and rapprochement with Russia as AfD seeks historic victory

A vote of particular significance for German politics will take place on Sunday in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, where the Alternative for Germany, AfD, aims to take regional leadership for the first time from a far-right force in postwar Germany.

The result is also expected to reflect the divisions that continue to exist between eastern and western Germany, more than three decades after reunification. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the closure of many state-owned enterprises in the former East Germany led to unemployment and a significant exodus of residents.

Even today, citizens in the east have, on average, lower wages and savings. Moreover, some of them believe they are less represented in the country’s political and economic life.

These grievances have created fertile ground for the AfD’s anti-immigration rhetoric, despite the eastern states having fewer residents born outside Germany compared with the west. Nostalgia for the period of East Germany, known as “Ostalgie,” also features in public debate.

Attitudes toward Russia are another factor that could influence the vote. In the eastern part of the country, calls for closer relations with Moscow remain more prevalent, along with skepticism toward the United States and the transatlantic alliance.

For the German government, the election in Saxony-Anhalt could serve as a warning about the situation across the country, as economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions strengthen protest parties.