Kathmandu— The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has emerged victorious in the election in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, according to exit polls. With 44.5 percent of the vote, the far-right party has become the first to gain control of a German state government since World War II, signaling a major political shift in the country. AfD's lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund declared, 'We have achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve,' while co-leader Alice Weidel celebrated the 'historic' result, though the party's ability to form a government remains uncertain.

AfD's Agenda and Concerns

The AfD's anti-‘woke’ agenda includes promises to replace LGBTQ pride rainbow flags at public schools with the German standard and to change history teaching to lessen the emphasis on Hitler's Third Reich. The party also wants to replace migrant workers with German expatriates and offer 'baby bonuses' to reverse the shrinking population in the small state of 2.1 million. The German Economic Institute has warned that the AfD's immigration policy would be 'ruinous' for Saxony-Anhalt, which is highly reliant on foreign-born workers, especially in the health sector. There are also fears that an AfD-run state security apparatus could leak sensitive information to Russia, which Moscow could use to destabilize Germany. Thuringia state interior minister Georg Maier stated, 'The Kremlin makes no secret of the fact that the AfD is the most important instrument for destabilizing Germany for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin.'

The AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt marks a significant political shift, but the party's ability to form a government remains uncertain. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for Germany's political landscape and its relationship with Russia.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.