Berlin, Germany – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his “deep shock” after his conservative party’s crushing defeat to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections. However, he pledged to continue his reform agenda. The AfD achieved a historic victory in the eastern German state, securing approximately 44% of the vote. This put it far ahead of Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), whose share fell to around 17%. The result represents the AfD’s strongest electoral performance in its history and brings it closer to forming the first state government led by a far-right party in Germany since World War II.
Meretz pledges to continue reform
Merz said the election result had caused a major shake-up within his party. But he stressed that his determination to continue reforms remained unwavering. He pledged to work on better explaining government policies to voters. The chancellor’s remarks come after his party suffered a significant loss in the state, and amid mounting political pressure on the federal government over economic and social issues, as well as the growing popularity of the far right in eastern Germany.
Refusal to cooperate with “Al-Badil”
Merz maintains his refusal to cooperate with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, despite its significant electoral gains. This stance is part of the so-called “firewall” political approach adopted by mainstream parties to prevent the far right from participating in government. The results in Saxony-Anhalt raise concerns about the future of this approach, especially given the AfD’s 43.8% share of the vote and 39 out of 83 seats in the state parliament. This makes it the largest political force by a considerable margin.
