German exit polls suggest far-right party has big lead in regional election

Exit polls show Germany's AfD taking a commanding lead in a regional election, but it remains unclear whether the far-right party can form the country's first state government since World War II.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6671x4447+0+0/resize/6671x4447!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fad%2F8b%2F4944bf8c48818ed67eaa4a898590%2Fap26249584589925.jpg' alt='AfD supporters celebrate with a sign featuring top candidate Ulrich Siegmund after the first results of the Saxony-Anhalt state election at the party's election night gathering in Magdeburg, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.'/><p>Exit polls show Germany's AfD taking a commanding lead in a regional election, but it remains unclear whether the far-right party can form the country's first state government since World War II.</p><p>(Image credit: Matthias Schrader)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5955677' />