Poland's Tusk slams AfD win in Saxony-Anhalt as 'idiots' rejoice

September 7, 2026 at 02:49 AM2 min

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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned the far-right AfD's projected victory in Saxony-Anhalt's state election, saying only 'idiots or traitors' in Poland could celebrate it. The AfD leads with 44% of the vote, according to preliminary results. Czech lower house speaker Tomio Okamura congratulated the party, while France's Europe minister called the result a 'heavy moment for Europe.'

Key Facts

The AfD leads with 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt's state election, according to preliminary results.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said only 'idiots or traitors' in Poland could rejoice at the AfD's triumph.
Czech lower house speaker Tomio Okamura congratulated the AfD and expressed hope it would join the new governing coalition in Saxony-Anhalt.
France's Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad called the result a 'heavy moment for Europe' and urged listening to anger and fears.
The CDU, led by incumbent state premier Sven Schulze, is projected to win 17.4% of the vote.

Election Results

Preliminary results show the AfD winning 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt. The CDU, whose member Sven Schulze is the incumbent state premier, is at 17.4%. The Left Party has 8.6%, the Greens 8.9%, the SPD 9.2%, and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance 5.1%. The FDP and other parties failed to clear the 5% threshold. Projected seat distribution in the 83-seat state parliament: AfD 39, CDU 15, Left, Greens, and SPD 8 each, and Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance 5.

International Reactions

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X that only 'idiots or traitors' in Poland could rejoice at the AfD's triumph. He said such people had 'accumulated' in the opposition parties Confederation and Law and Justice (PiS). Czech lower house speaker Tomio Okamura congratulated the AfD on public broadcaster CT and expressed hope it would join the new governing coalition in Saxony-Anhalt. Okamura is the founder of the Czech right-wing party Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), which has been part of the ruling coalition since late 2025. France's Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad called the result a 'heavy moment for Europe' and said nationalism and xenophobia would never be the solution.