Merz 'deeply shocked' after major AfD win in Saxony-Anhalt
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed shock following the far-right AfD party's landslide victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election. The CDU suffered a significant defeat, prompting calls for internal reflection and a new political narrative.
Why it matters
The surge of the AfD in regional elections signals a major shift in the German political landscape and poses a challenge to established parties.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed his shock after the far-right AfD party stormed to victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election over the weekend.Merz appeared before the press in Berlin on Monday, together with the CDU's lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, Sven Schulze, to address the outcome of the vote."Yesterday's result has changed not only Saxony-Anhalt, but Germany as a whole," Merz said following Sunday's state election results. "We are all profoundly shocked. We did not expect it to turn out like this."The anti-immigration AfD party won the election by a landslide, taking 43.8% of the vote.
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