The Left co-leader Luigi Pantisano has said he would support the CDU if necessary to prevent the far‑right AfD from taking power in Saxony‑Anhalt's September 6 election. The AfD is polling above 40% and could win an outright majority if several smaller parties fail to cross the 5% threshold. If the AfD falls short, incumbent CDU premier Sven Schulze might only be able to govern with backing from The Left — though the CDU has officially ruled out working with either the AfD or The Left.
The Left Offers to Back CDU to Prevent AfD From Taking Power in Saxony-Anhalt
File Photo - Delegates sit under the logo of the Die Linke party at the federal party conference in Chemnitz. (is associated with: «Germany's The Left ready to back conservatives against far-right AfD») Hendrik Schmidt/dpa
With fewer than four weeks to go before the pivotal state election on September 6, The Left's co-leader Luigi Pantisano said he would do whatever is necessary to stop the far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) from assuming power in Saxony‑Anhalt.
Speaking to public broadcaster ZDF, Pantisano emphasized his party's willingness to take responsibility. "We, The Left, have shown in recent years that we take responsibility for this country," he said, adding that one option would be to offer support to the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party led by Friedrich Merz.
Why This Election Matters
This vote is being watched across Germany because the AfD is polling above 40% in Saxony‑Anhalt and could — if smaller parties fail to pass the 5% threshold — win an outright majority in the state parliament in Magdeburg. If the AfD does not reach an absolute majority, polls indicate the incumbent CDU premier, Sven Schulze, could only form a government with support from The Left, a party that traces its roots to the Socialist Unity Party that governed the former East Germany and is currently polling third in the state.
"The key question is whether Sven Schulze will be prepared to take responsibility after the election," Pantisano said, stressing that preventing the AfD from governing is his priority.
Political Constraints
The AfD has never been part of a ruling coalition in any of Germany's 16 states or at the federal level because other mainstream parties have maintained a refusal to cooperate with it — a policy commonly referred to as the "firewall." The CDU has formally ruled out cooperation with both the AfD and The Left, complicating post-election coalition math in Magdeburg.
As campaigning intensifies, the outcome may hinge on whether smaller parties surpass the 5% threshold required to enter the state parliament — a factor that could either hand the AfD an unprecedented majority or force new, unconventional alliances to keep it out of power.
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