Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has celebrated a major election breakthrough for Germany’s far-right AfD, calling its result in Saxony-Anhalt a “huge night for Germany and Europe” and declaring: “This is just the beginning.”
Orbán was quick to congratulate the Alternative for Germany (AfD) after Sunday’s state election in Saxony-Anhalt, where the party secured around 43.8 per cent of the vote, according to preliminary results.
“Congratulations to Alice Weidel, Ulrich Siegmund, and the entire AfD on their landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt. Buckle up! This is just the beginning!” Orbán wrote on X.
The former Hungarian prime minister has been an outspoken supporter of the AfD. As early as 2025, he described the party as “the future”, signalling his belief that Germany’s political landscape was undergoing a major transformation.
A huge night for Germany and Europe!
Congratulations to @Alice_Weidel, @UlrichSiegmund and the entire @AfD on their landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt!
Buckle up. This is just the beginning! 💪
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) September 6, 2026
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AfD dominates in eastern Germany
The scale of the AfD’s result is striking. The party won roughly 43.8 per cent of the vote, far ahead of the centre-right CDU, which took around 17.2 per cent.
The Left Party received 8.6 per cent, while the Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens each secured around 9 per cent. The Greens improved on their previous result, while the newly formed Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) was hovering around the five per cent threshold.
Despite its huge lead, however, the AfD does not have an outright majority. Preliminary projections indicate that the party will hold around 39 of the 83 seats in the state parliament.
That means the AfD cannot govern alone and the formation of the next state government remains uncertain.
A historic breakthrough for the far right
Still, the election represents a major milestone in German politics. Saxony-Anhalt, a state of around 2.1 million people in eastern Germany, has become the focus of international attention because the AfD’s result raises the prospect of the party taking control of a German state government.
The election was particularly significant because voters and political observers were watching to see whether AfD could win an absolute majority and potentially secure its first state premiership. If the other parties cooperate, they could still prevent the AfD from forming a government despite its commanding electoral lead.
According to Telex, the result also carries historical significance: it marks the first time since the Second World War that a far-right party has come close to taking control of a German state government on the strength of such a dominant electoral result.
Salvini also celebrates AfD success
Orbán was not the only prominent European politician to welcome the result. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also described the AfD’s performance as a sweeping success, arguing that the party had prevailed despite what he called the left’s continued attempts to “stoke fears” and promote catastrophic scenarios.
The AfD won a minority in a state election. Orban got his clock cleaned in a national vote. Whatever “historic breakthrough” the AfD achieved in Saxony Anhalt is overshadowed by the wholesale rejection of Fidesz and Orban in Hungary. Orban is a nobody, a loser who can congratulate the AfD if he wants but he has lost all credibility and his voice cannot be taken seriously anymore. He can go back to hiding under his bed because he is too cowardly to show up in Parliament.