Far-right AfD party leads polls ahead of Saxony-Anhalt state election

Germany's far-right AfD party is expected to win control of a state government for the first time since World War II. Polls show the AfD could get around 40% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt's regional election on September 6. The CDU is far behind at about 23%. If the AfD wins, it will be the first far-right party to hold executive power in post-war Germany. State governments control areas like education, policing, and culture. They also send representatives to Germany's federal second chamber. Germany's intelligence service has classified the AfD as far-right extremist and watches several of its branches. Officials are now considering setting up separate intelligence offices in Saxony-Anhalt to keep sensitive work safe from an AfD administration.