Angela Merkel Calls for Defending Democracy as Far Right Advances in Germany

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on the public to defend democracy as the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, advances in the country.

Her appeal came one week before regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD leads the polls. The statement places the party’s electoral strength at the center of the campaign and frames the vote as a test for democratic values.