Online claims that Brussels is preparing to withhold EU funds from the German state of Saxony-Anhalt following the far-right AfD's victory in September's regional election have been circulating widely. The posts, often featuring a picture of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, suggest that millions or even billions of euros could be at risk. But there is no evidence to support this narrative.
The AfD won 39 seats in the state parliament on 6 September, more than double the seats of any other party, but fell short of a majority. Other parties have refused to form a coalition with the AfD, leaving the state government in limbo. Von der Leyen, whose CDU party suffered a heavy defeat with just 17.2% of the vote, has been a vocal critic of the AfD, which may have fueled the speculation.
The claim appears to originate from a statement by German Green MEP Daniel Freund, who said after the election that he would push to freeze EU funds if an AfD-led government violated European values or misused money. Freund noted that Saxony-Anhalt is set to receive €2.95 billion from the EU's 2021-2027 budget, including €1.3 billion from the European Regional Development Fund, €571 million from the European Social Fund, and €594 million from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. On a per capita basis, the state benefits more than any other German region, averaging over €650 per citizen over the budget cycle.
Freund also pointed to precedents in Poland and Hungary, where Brussels froze funds over rule-of-law concerns. In Poland, the Commission unlocked €137 billion in cohesion and post-pandemic funds in 2024 after the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk introduced judicial independence guarantees. For Hungary, the EU has proposed releasing a first tranche of €4.2 billion in cohesion funds and restoring access to programmes like Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe, following legislative changes under Péter Magyar's administration.
Legal hurdles and official denials
However, the EU's rule-of-law conditionality mechanism does not allow for funds to be suspended simply because a particular party takes office. The European Commission can only propose measures if breaches of the rule of law directly affect or seriously risk affecting the sound management of the EU budget. Any such measure would require a proposal from the Commission and a decision by the Council of the European Union.
A spokesperson for the government of Saxony-Anhalt told Euronews' fact-checking team that it was not aware of any plans to freeze EU funds. "In the current situation, there would be no legal basis for such a course of action," the spokesperson said, noting that a new state government has not yet been formed.
The European Commission also confirmed that it is not considering blocking funds for Saxony-Anhalt. "As a matter of general practice, the Commission monitors the situation in all Member States and regions and takes action where necessary, in accordance with the legal frameworks governing EU funding," a Commission spokesperson said. "The election result itself does not constitute a legal basis for suspending EU funding."
For now, the idea of freezing funds appears to be the opinion of a few MEPs rather than a coordinated EU effort. The AfD also performed well in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while the Left won in Berlin's state election. The situation in Saxony-Anhalt remains fluid, but the EU's position is clear: no funds are being withheld based on election outcomes alone.
