Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned that German authorities must not escalate tensions with Russia following the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s regional election victory in Saxony-Anhalt, which he described as a distraction from ruling parties’ electoral setbacks.
In a post on X on September 7, Fico stated: “I have only one wish: that this result in the regional elections in Germany does not lead to the fact that the war with Russia will be presented as the only way to distract attention from the defeat of the ruling parties. Because, as the old saying goes, Germany does not make small mistakes.”
Fico emphasized that the AfD’s win should be viewed as a sovereign decision by voters rather than an end to democracy. He attributed the outcome to growing public discontent with current government policies. The regional elections held on September 6 saw the AfD secure 43.8% of votes in Saxony-Anhalt, while the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, garnered just 17.2%—the party’s lowest result in this region and nearly double its 2021 share. The CDU also failed to win a single direct mandate across all districts.
On September 7, protesters gathered outside Saxony-Anhalt’s parliament building, vowing to establish a permanent camp against the AfD. Demonstrators placed signs above the parliament windows and expressed hope that election results could still shift, pledging continued resistance regardless of the outcome.
