New premier takes power in eastern German state ahead of key election

A new premier was sworn in on Wednesday in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, months ahead of a crucial election that could see the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) make unprecedented gains.

Sven Schulze, from Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), was elected at the state parliament in Magdeburg to replace long-serving leader Reiner Haseloff.

The move offers Schulze the opportunity to build an incumbency advantage before the state holds closely-watched elections on September 6.

The incoming premier faces an uphill battle amid a surge in support for the anti-immigrant AfD, whose chapter in the state is under investigation by intelligence services as a "confirmed" right-wing extremist organization.

The latest poll in Saxony-Anhalt on Tuesday found the AfD on 39%, putting it within reach of an absolute majority in what would be a historic first for the party.

It landed well ahead of the CDU on 26% and far-left party The Left on 11%, with the centre-left Social Democrats trailing on 8% and the populist BSW on 6%.

The AfD - Germany's largest opposition party following national elections last year - has proved especially successful in the former East Germany, where economic development and opportunities still lag behind the former West.

The party won a state election for the first time in neighbouring Thuringia in 2024, but was unable to form a government after other parties refused to form coalitions with it - a policy known in Germany as the "firewall."