Near‑majority far‑right forces coalition test

Exit polls from ZDF and ARD show AfD finishing just short of an absolute majority in the Sachsen‑Anhalt Landtag, creating a scenario where mainstream parties must decide whether to form a minimal anti‑AfD coalition or tolerate a governing minority. The result crystallizes a tactical dilemma: broad exclusionary coalitions that keep a single party out of power, or new norms around negotiating with a near‑majoritarian far‑right. — If repeated, these scenarios force mainstream parties to choose between sustained cordons sanitaire (exclusion) and pragmatic accommodation, reshaping democratic norms and coalition politics across Europe.