Far right sweeps German election, dealing Friedrich Merz a major blow

The far-right Alternative for Germany has scored a sweeping victory in Saxony-Anhalt, dealing a sharp blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz and increasing pressure on his governing coalition.

The AfD won 43.8% of the vote. Merz’s Christian Democratic Union received 17.2%, followed by the Social Democratic Party on 9.3%, the Greens on 8.9% and the Left on 8.6%.

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We had not expected a defeat of this magnitude.

Merz acknowledged the scale of the defeat after meeting his party’s leadership. “We had not expected a defeat of this magnitude,” he said, describing it as the CDU’s worst result in decades. He rejected speculation about his future, saying he had been elected to a four-year term that runs until 2029.

The result carries particular weight because Merz had previously set himself the goal of halving the AfD’s electoral support when he became CDU leader. In Saxony-Anhalt, the opposite happened. He said he would not ignore the far-right party’s advance and defended Germany’s democratic institutions and constitutional values.

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Worst defeat in decades.

Merz also acknowledged that his government’s popularity is low and said it needed to improve communication with voters. Within the SPD, doubts have emerged about some reforms, with Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil calling the result a “signal for Berlin.” The coalition also faces disagreements over economic and social measures.

Merz rejected changing his position on Russia and defended continued support for Ukraine, warning about the Russian threat. He has little time to respond before elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin on Sept. 20, where the AfD starts from a strong position in both regions.

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Signal for Berlin.