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🇵🇦 Panama /Elections & Politics

Far-right victory in regional election puts pressure on German Chancellor Merz

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The far-right Alternative for Germany won a preliminary 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, defeating Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU, which received 18%.
  • The AfD is projected to hold 39 of the 42 seats needed for an outright majority, leaving its ability to govern alone uncertain.
  • The result has intensified pressure on Merz and could revive debate within the CDU over cooperation with the far-right party.

The Alternative for Germany has scored its biggest victory to date, winning 44% of the vote in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt and dealing another blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The CDU, led by Merz, finished a distant second with 18%, according to preliminary results reported by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF.

We have written history in this country.

· Ulrich SiegmundThe AfD’s regional leader celebrated the party’s result in an interview with ARD.

AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund hailed the result at a party celebration in the state capital, Magdeburg. “We have written history in this country,” the 35-year-old told ARD. “We need a fundamental political change in this country.” Supporters at the event celebrated the party’s breakthrough, while one 65-year-old attendee, Angela Maike, said she preferred to remain pessimistic before elections so that a good result would come as a surprise.

We need a fundamental political change in this country.

· Ulrich SiegmundSiegmund described the political change he said the election demanded.

The AfD is expected to win 39 seats in the regional parliament, three short of the 42 required for an absolute majority. That means the party may need outside support to govern the state, which has 2.1 million residents. Siegmund said he had “an extended hand,” while national AfD co-leader Alice Weidel called on “the CDU, or part of the CDU” to negotiate. Merz’s party has so far ruled out any alliance with the far right.

An extended hand.

· Ulrich SiegmundSiegmund said the AfD was willing to seek outside support to govern.

The defeat could nevertheless reopen that debate inside the CDU, where some members have long advocated closer ties. Merz followed the results from the CDU headquarters in Berlin as his popularity ratings have fallen sharply. CDU state leader Sven Schulze said national government policies had hurt his campaign. Siegmund promised tougher migration policies, an end to compulsory schooling and changes to history teaching, which he said focuses too heavily on Germany’s guilt over the Third Reich. Josef Schuster, president of Germany’s Central Council of Jews, said he was “dismayed” by the result.

Dismayed.

· Josef SchusterThe president of Germany’s Central Council of Jews described his reaction to the result.
About this summary

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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