Mass demonstrations erupted in 20 cities following the AfD's electoral surge in Saxony-Anhalt, triggering a national debate over the legal thresholds for banning the party.
The Alternative for Germany captured 39 seats in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, falling three seats short of an absolute majority in the election.
Despite doubling its 2021 vote share, the AfD faces a governing gap as mainstream parties refuse to form a coalition with the organization.
Roughly 1.7 million voters in Saxony-Anhalt cast ballots as the populist AfD seeks its first state government in post-war Germany, testing the mainstream firewall.
With the far-right party leading polls by a wide margin, Sunday's high-stakes election in Saxony-Anhalt could break a foundational post-war political barrier.