AfD tops Sachsen-Anhalt poll at 41% as parties debate 5% threshold

AfD Saxony-Anhalt poll 5% electoral threshold SPD

A new Infratest dimap survey conducted 23‑28 July 2026 shows the far‑right AfD leading the race for the Saxony‑Anhalt state parliament with 41 % of the vote, while the governing CDU falls to 24 %. The Left garners 13 %, the SPD 7 %, the Greens 5 % and the BSW 4 %, missing the five‑percent entry barrier. The election is scheduled for 6 September 2026, and the AfD is positioning itself for a possible single‑party government.

The poll has intensified debate over Germany’s five‑percent electoral threshold. SPD lead candidate Armin Willingmann is pressing for the threshold to be lowered to three percent, a view echoed by former Federal Constitutional Court president Hans‑Jürgen Papier. AfD chairwoman Alice Weidel, however, calls for the barrier’s complete abolition. Former Bundestag president Norbert Lammert opposes any removal, arguing the rule protects parliamentary stability.

CDU leader and Saxony‑Anhalt Minister‑President Sven Schulze reiterated the party’s refusal to cooperate with the AfD or The Left in any governing coalition, while the Greens and The Left stress that their entry into the Landtag would block an AfD‑only government.

Entities: AfD · AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) · Alice Weidel · Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) · Armin Willingmann · CDU (Christlich Demokratische Union) · Hans‑Jürgen Papier · SPD · Saxony‑Anhalt · Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) · Sven Schulze · Ulrich Siegmund

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 3 SOURCES] The Greens, FDP and BSW each receive about four percent in the poll, also below the five‑percent threshold.
[● 3 SOURCES] The latest Insa poll shows the AfD leading in Saxony‑Anhalt with 41 percent of the vote.
[● 3 SOURCES] Former Federal Constitutional Court president Hans‑Jürgen Papier has advocated lowering the five‑percent hurdle to three percent for Bundestag elections, calling the current threshold no longer timely
[● 3 SOURCES] Willingmann said three‑percent thresholds are already used in other European countries.
[● 7 SOURCES] Armin Willingmann proposes lowering the five‑percent threshold to three percent. (SPD candidate statements)
[● 13 SOURCES] The Saxony‑Anhalt state election is scheduled for 6 September 2026. (supporting_article_ids)
[● 3 SOURCES] The SPD is projected at around five percent in the same poll, close to the current threshold.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Willingmann said that due to timing, the electoral threshold cannot be changed before the upcoming election.
[● 5 SOURCES] SPD candidate Armin Willingmann proposes lowering the electoral threshold from five to three percent. (statement)
[● 10 SOURCES] The SPD polls at five percent, just at the electoral threshold. (poll)
[● 6 SOURCES] Former Federal Constitutional Court president Hans‑Jürgen Papier supports lowering the electoral threshold. (Former court president)
[● 17 SOURCES] The CDU receives 24 % support in the same poll. (poll articles)