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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Kate Connolly in Berlin

All eyes on Saxony-Anhalt – what will AfD do if it wins German state poll?

Two young men hold up two placards featuring the AfD's Ulrich Siegmund and the words 'Das Land Retten' - German for 'Save the Country'.
AfD supporters at a campaign for Ulrich Siegmund, leader of the party in Saxony-Anhalt. ‘Das Land Retten’ is German for ‘Save the Country’. Photograph: Annegret Hilse/Reuters

Germany is embarking on a crucial election period this month, with three key state polls that could markedly change the political terrain and make life decidedly harder for the federal government under the chancellor, Friedrich Merz.

All eyes are on Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, where about 1.7 million people are eligible to vote, followed by Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin on 20 September. In all three contests, the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is expected to make strong gains.

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