The Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, anticipates the AfD will not participate in a governing coalition following the state elections in 2026, despite the party’s current strength in polling. In remarks to the news portal T-Online, Haseloff stated, “The AfD will not govern here”. He expressed confidence that a majority of voters oppose entrusting the AfD with governmental power, asserting the party lacks the potential to achieve an absolute majority due to a lack of potential coalition partners.
Haseloff stated his conviction that his party, the CDU, will ultimately outperform the AfD. He also emphasized that his potential successor, State Minister for Economic Affairs Sven Schulze, shares his firm stance against any cooperation with the AfD. “Sven Schulze is just as clear on this as I am” Haseloff affirmed, characterizing the AfD as a primary political opponent actively seeking to undermine the CDU. He also suggested growing public awareness that a vote for the AfD may not translate into meaningful political influence.
Questioning the accuracy of current polling data, which places the AfD around 30 percent, narrowly behind the CDU, Haseloff commented, “No one really knows where the AfD currently stands”. He characterized regional polling in the East as providing only a vague picture of public sentiment.
Regarding his preferred successor, Haseloff described a strong alignment with Schulze on key political principles, stating, “He is very much a chip off the old block”. He expressed confidence in Schulze’s ability to continue his political legacy, characterizing him as a centrist politician. Acknowledging Schulze’s lower public profile, Haseloff indicated his intention to actively campaign on Schulze’s behalf, leveraging his own recognition and political standing to raise Schulze’s visibility amongst voters as the election campaign intensifies.