The 2026 Saxony-Anhalt state election on September 6 produced a fragmented Landtag, with the AfD securing 39 of 83 seats on 43.8% of the vote—short of the 42-seat absolute majority—while the CDU fell to 15 seats. The incumbent CDU-SPD-FDP coalition under Minister-President Sven Schulze now operates as a caretaker administration. Government formation hinges on whether the AfD can assemble support for Ulrich Siegmund’s December bid for Minister-President, potentially via the BSW’s five seats or individual defections in secret ballots, despite the CDU’s explicit refusal to cooperate and other parties’ ongoing but stalled exploratory talks. The AfD’s election of its candidate as Landtag President on October 6 highlighted possible cross-bloc voting dynamics that could influence the outcome before the legislative period advances.