Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten has described the far-right Alternative for Germany party’s election victory as a “wake-up call.”
AfD won the state election in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
The party secured 43.8 percent of the vote and won 39 of the state parliament’s 83 seats. It fell three seats short of an outright majority.
AfD’s support more than doubled from the 20.8 percent it received in the 2021 election.
“The German voter is, of course, always right – including in German elections. At the same time, it is concerning that a party with extreme positions, which also contain pro-Russian sentiments, has performed so well,” Jetten said during a visit to Sluiskil in Zeeland.
Jetten said German politicians must examine why so many voters supported the party.
“What lessons do you draw from this, and how can you do better – including for the German voter?” he asked.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union suffered a major defeat. The CDU finished second with 17.2 percent, down from 37.1 percent in 2021.
The Social Democratic Party received 9.3 percent. The Greens secured 8.9 percent, while Die Linke received 8.6 percent.
AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund said the result gave his party a mandate to govern.
However, AfD did not win enough seats to govern alone. Most other parties have refused to form a coalition with it because of its radical positions.
The result has caused concern across Europe.
French and Polish ministers called the outcome worrying. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán welcomed it and described it as a “great night for Germany and Europe.”
A German election-monitoring group also reported widespread disinformation before the vote. Some campaigns were reportedly connected to Russian propaganda networks.
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said the party now wants to build on its victory and secure at least 40 percent in Germany’s next federal election.
