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A large crowd with flags and a gold-foil float gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

A Hundred and Fifty Thousand Marched to Ban a Party That Just Won 44 Percent

Organisers say about 150,000 people marched in some 20 German cities on Saturday demanding a ban on the AfD, six days after it won 43.8 percent in Saxony-Anhalt. Germany's constitutional court has refused a ban before because a party was too insignificant to threaten democracy. The AfD's success removes that obstacle and creates a different one.

By Cory Chamberlain 8 hours ago

The Reichstag in Berlin beneath a dark sky, with the German and European Union flags flying beside it.

The Numbers

The AfD Has Thirty-Nine Seats. Everyone Who Has Ruled It Out Has Thirty-Nine Too.

The AfD took 43.8 percent in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday and 39 of 83 seats, three short of a majority. The four parties that have ruled out governing with it hold 39 between them — exactly the same number. The balance is five seats belonging to the one party that has not ruled it out.

By Cory Chamberlain September 7, 2026

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A Hundred and Fifty Thousand Marched to Ban a Party That Just Won 44 Percent

The AfD Has Thirty-Nine Seats. Everyone Who Has Ruled It Out Has Thirty-Nine Too.