POLITICIANS in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt elected a new governor today as mainstream parties seek to stem the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of a regional election.

The state legislature chose Sven Schulze, a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s right-wing Christian Democratic Union (CDU), to replace long-serving governor Reiner Haseloff. 

Mr Haseloff, 71, has led the state of around 2.2 million people since 2011.

Mr Schulze, 46, was named last year as the CDU candidate in the September 6 state election. 

While midterm handovers are not unusual in Germany, Mr Haseloff had initially planned to serve his full term before announcing an early departure this month.

Support for AfD has surged in Saxony-Anhalt and across the former German Democratic Republic, where the party has capitalised on opposition to migration and frustration with the weak economy.

Popular incumbents have previously held off AfD advances, including Mr Haseloff in 2021. 

AfD became the largest party in Thuringia’s 2024 election but has yet to govern a state.