Germany's far-right AfD set for big win in eastern state, just short of majority

Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) is heading for a big victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, far ahead of its mainstream rivals, according to incomplete results.



Projections indicate it is set to fall short of a majority, but the AfD says it has won a mandate to govern.



The far-right AfD is set to win a record 44% of the vote, well ahead of the conservative CDU on just over 17%.



The AfD's charismatic leader in the state, Ulrich Siegmund, said it was "sensational" and they wanted to start governing as soon as possible.



No far-right party has won control of a German state since World War Two, and governing at state level would mean powers over policing, local education and culture.



Saxony-Anhalt has a small population of 2.1 million and the AfD in the state is assessed by domestic intelligence as "right-wing extremist", a classification rejected by Siegmund.



With more than 90% votes in, the AfD is on track to score more than double its result in 2021, and Siegmund along with joint national leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were overjoyed as the news emerged.