The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has achieved a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt’s state election, winning 43.8% of the vote but falling three seats short of an outright parliamentary majority. The party is seeking support from other parties or individual legislators to form a government, although most German parties have maintained their refusal to cooperate with it. Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor, described the result as seismic after his conservative CDU fell to 17.2%. No far-right party has governed a German state since World War II. The AfD’s proposed policies include tougher immigration enforcement and special classes for child refugees, while domestic intelligence classifies its Saxony-Anhalt organisation as right-wing extremist, a designation the party rejects. AfD leaders say that discussions about forming an administration have begun; if agreement cannot be reached, the outcome might have to be another election.