Sunday's vote in Saxony-Anhalt could produce the strongest showing in the history of the Alternative for Germany party, potentially ending a 77-year postwar taboo on far-right parties holding power. The AfD, designated a 'suspected' extremist group by German intelligence, has surged in national polls and leads in Saxony-Anhalt, where surveys suggest it could win a majority of seats in the state Parliament. If successful, it would mark a seismic shift in German democracy built after WWII to block extremist rule.

The party's rise stems from voter anger over immigration, economic stagnation, and cultural grievances dating to German reunification. Supporters in the former East Germany cite unemployment, rising prices, and a sense of mistreatment by the West. Wolfram Adler, a 67-year-old retiree, said the AfD is 'our last chance' amid economic collapse.

Concerns include Holocaust denial by some leaders, pro-Russian ties, and anti-Islam rhetoric. The AfD rejects extremism claims as politically motivated, while government officials accuse it of treating migrant Germans as second-class citizens. Saxony-Anhalt's 8.1 percent unemployment rate—well above national average—fuels support against disappointed centrist parties.