The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) came a distant second with 17.2%, according to preliminary results.
AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund described the result as “sensational” and said voters had given his party a clear mandate to govern. However, the party is expected to hold 39 of the 83 seats in the state parliament, four short of the 42 needed for a majority.
The result leaves the AfD facing difficult talks over how to form a government. Germany’s established parties have maintained a political “firewall” against working in coalition with the far right.
The left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which is expected to win five seats, could become important in the negotiations. The party has taken a tough position on migration and has supported closer energy ties with Russia, while leaving open the possibility of cooperation with the AfD on some issues.
The AfD’s result is particularly significant because no far-right party has governed a German state since the end of World War Two.
Siegmund has rejected the idea of leading a minority government and suggested that fresh elections could produce an even stronger result for the AfD.
The party’s success has also drawn strong reactions outside Germany. US President Donald Trump highlighted the result on social media, while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticised those celebrating the AfD’s advance.
The election saw a high turnout of 77.8%, with migration, public safety and economic concerns among issues that helped shape the campaign.
The AfD has gained growing support across eastern Germany. It also won the most votes in Thuringia’s 2024 state election but was unable to form a government.
The party’s policies, including its controversial call for “remigration”, have raised concern among political opponents and Jewish community leaders, who fear a rise in far-right politics could revive painful chapters of Germany’s past.
For now, the AfD has won the election but still faces the harder task of finding a way into government.
