The Alternative for Germany (AfD) continues to soar in popularity across Germany, and in the east of the country, it is now approaching an absolute majority in two major states: Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. In the latest Insa poll for Saxony, the party has jumped to 42 percent, double the support of the second-place Christian Democrats (CDU).
The poll, which was conducted on behalf of the Nius outlet, shows the AfD gained seven points since the poll was last conducted in June 2025, nearly a year ago. The CDU now stands at 21 percent, which is a drop of five points, the weakest results the party has ever recorded in a poll. The AfD has exactly double the amount of the CDU, which is in second place.
If the AfD can achieve 46 percent in Saxony, it would likely have an absolute majority to rule the state without any other party. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel celebrated the results on X, writing: “The AfD in Saxony is now at 42% and twice as strong as the CDU! Whoever writes leftist screeds against the AfD and slanders volunteer work and large swaths of the population, instead of solving this country’s problems, shouldn’t be surprised by poll numbers like these.”
Neue INSA-Umfrage: Die AfD in Sachsen ist mit 42 % inzwischen doppelt so stark wie die CDU! Wer linke Kampfschriften gegen die AfD verfasst und das Ehrenamt und große Teile der Bevölkerung verunglimpft, statt die Probleme dieses Landes zu lösen, der muss sich über solche… pic.twitter.com/fk89zpvdze
— Alice Weidel (@Alice_Weidel) May 21, 2026In September 2024, the CDU won the state with 31.9 percent of the vote, just ahead of the AfD, which achieved 30.6 percent of the vote.
Just last week, the AfD reached 42 percent in the neighboring state of Saxony-Anhalt, also in the east. There, elections will be held in September. This comes after the AfD achieved significant growth not only in other eastern German states, but also on a national level, reaching a record high of 29 percent.
If the AfD were to achieve the same results on election day in Saxony, it could form a coalition with any other party. However, all parties say they remain committed to never working with the right-wing party, including the CDU.
However, the math may be exceedingly difficult. For the CDU to form a coalition without the AfD, it would need the support of every other party in the parliament.
Notably, the left has completely crashed in Saxony and other eastern German states. If the left-wing parties were added up, they would only score 28 percent of the vote, but only if the BSW is factored in, which scored seven points. The BSW has a number of anti-immigration and pro-Russian policies that have led other left-wing parties to scorn it.
For the AfD, there is also further potential to grow. The poll found that 49 percent of Saxons said they have either voted for the party already or can imagine voting for it. Only 39 percent ruled out voting for the AfD entirely. Meanwhile, only 36 percent of voters could ever imagine voting for the CDU.
Meanwhile, 35 percent of voters said they were satisfied with the current government, whereas 58 percent said they were dissatisfied.
