Germany: Press freedom at stake in upcoming Saxony-Anhalt elections
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners in viewing the upcoming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt with great concern. On 6 September, a decision will also be made on press freedom and the future of the public service broadcaster Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR).
The Alternative for Germany (AfD), classified as far-right extremist in Saxony-Anhalt, is leading in the polls. In its 100-day programme, the party promises that its ‘first official act’ in government will be the immediate termination of the Interstate Broadcasting Agreements (Rundfunkstaatsverträge).
This promise threatens the very existence of public broadcaster Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), which is responsible for Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia. While termination by a resolution of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament is possible, state governments are constitutionally obliged to guarantee citizens access to public service media.
In addition to the MDR, the AfD Saxony-Anhalt’s party programme also targets the independent Radio Corax in Halle. The party is threatening to ‘turn off the money tap’ for the radio station should it come to power. Radio Corax actively promotes diversity and pluralism, broadcasts in numerous languages and offers a platform to minority voices.
The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) has documented a growing number of attacks on journalists and media professionals in connection with AfD election events in Saxony-Anhalt on the MFRR database Mapping Media Freedom (MapMF). The German Union of Journalists (dju/ver.di) reports more than 30 attacks – 25 in the past three weeks alone – affecting over 40 media professionals.
The AfD’s plans raise fundamental questions about press freedom and the future of public service broadcasting in Saxony-Anhalt. The ECPMF’s Feindbild-Study has, for the past ten years, observed a link between the rise of the far right and attacks on media professionals in Germany.
A look at Germany’s European neighbours highlights the growing trends of media hostility and the erosion of press freedom. Since Giorgia Meloni and her far-right party, Fratelli d’Italia, came to power in September 2022, MapMF has documented an increased number of breaches of press freedom. Of particular concern are the government’s attempts to curtail the independence of the public broadcaster RAI.
During a trip abroad to Budapest in February 2025, the co-chair of the AfD, Alice Weidel, described Hungary as a “great role model”. Under Viktor Orbán, MapMF documented more than 200 attacks on press freedom in Hungary between 2020 and April 2026.
Against this backdrop, MFRR partners are observing the attacks on press freedom in connection with the election in Saxony-Anhalt with great concern. Similar measures in Hungary and Italy as proposed by AfD in their electoral programme show where such political attacks on independent media can lead. Press freedom and media diversity are indispensable cornerstones of democracy and must not be allowed to become pawns in political games.
The EFJ and its MFRR partners will continue to campaign for the protection of press freedom and to document attacks on media professionals after the election.
Signed by:
- European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
- European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
- Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
This statement was produced as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and candidate countries.
