German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated that he will not withdraw his support for Ukraine despite the victory of «Alternative for Germany» in the Saxony-Anhalt election. The result of the vote may increase domestic political pressure on the government; however, military, financial and foreign policy matters fall predominantly within the remit of the federal government.
Briefly about the main points
- Merz reaffirmed his unwavering support for Ukraine.
- The AfD won in Saxony-Anhalt but failed to secure an outright majority.
- The regional government will be formed through negotiations and a vote.
- The BSW may influence the election of the head of the state government.
- Berlin has not announced any changes to its aid to Kyiv following the elections.
The government of Saxony-Anhalt is dependent on the negotiations
AfD won the election on 6 September, but was not given the opportunity to form a government on its own. The next steps will depend on negotiations between the parties and the procedure for electing the head of the state government.
Block Sari Wagenknecht, who scored 5.3%, could influence the result. His leading landholder Thomas Schulze allowed for the promotion of an AfD candidate’s election Ulrich Sigmund, particularly due to their performance in the third round. At the same time, an agreement between the AfD and the BSW is not guaranteed.
Support for Ukraine remains a federal policy
On 2 September, during a telephone conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Merz spoke of the firm commitment to continue German civilian and military support. The President of Ukraine thanked Germany, in particular for its assistance in the field of air defence.
As at 24 August, the German government estimated that bilateral civilian aid to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war had totalled more than 43.3 billion euros. The total amount military aid amounted to approximately 57.6 billion euros, including funds set aside for subsequent years. Following the federal elections, no decisions were announced regarding changes to the level or timing of the aid.
