AfD challenges church funding in Germany after 44 percent win in Saxony-Anhalt

The Alternative for Germany (AfD), led by Ulrich Siegmund, won 44 percent of the vote in the regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, 2026, falling short of an absolute majority. The result raises questions about the future of the Kirchensteuer, the church tax that registered Catholics in Germany must pay. It amounts to 9 percent of their income tax and is collected by the tax authorities before being passed on to the Church.

Siegmund was baptized and raised a Catholic and formally left the Church in 2017 through the administrative procedure known as Kirchenaustritt. He has said he has not abandoned the Catholic values he carries "in his heart," though he sharply criticizes the German Church as an institution. Avoiding the church tax means formally leaving the Church, a decision that carries consequences in Church life.

Under a 2012 decree of the German Bishops' Conference, those who deregister from the Church may not receive certain sacraments, including penance, the Eucharist, confirmation and the anointing of the sick, except in danger of death. They also may not serve as godparents or hold certain positions in the Church, and in some cases they can be denied a religious funeral.

The AfD has said it intends to challenge the Staatsleistungen, historic public payments to the churches in compensation for the large-scale secularization of Church property in the early 19th century. The party also wants to challenge the state's role in collecting the Kirchensteuer.

The dispute comes amid rising tension between the AfD and Catholic and Protestant leaders. Several bishops have warned the faithful about the party, while the AfD accuses the large churches of having become political actors, especially on migration.

A shrinking Catholic base in Germany

In 2025 Germany had 19.2 million Catholics, about 23 percent of the population. That year 307,117 people officially left the Church, while only 2,269 joined and 5,443 former Catholics returned. Religious practice has also declined, and the number of priestly ordinations fell to 29 in 2024 and continued to drop in 2025.