Far-right AfD wins largest vote share in Saxony-Anhalt state election

The far-right AfD party has won its biggest ever share of votes in a German state election. Exit polls from Sunday's vote in Saxony-Anhalt gave the AfD around 44.5% of the vote. The CDU, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, came second with just 18.5%. It is not yet clear if the AfD has enough seats to form a government. AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund, 35, said after the result that "we have written history." He also thanked Merz for helping the AfD's campaign. The AfD wants mass deportations, closer ties with Russia, and changes to education policy. Business leaders and security services have warned about the party's growing power. Germany's political system was built after World War II to stop far-right parties from taking control.