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🇮🇪 Ireland /Disasters & Emergencies

Germany’s far-right earthquake leaves Merz reeling from an “existential shock”

From Irish Times · () English

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

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Ongoing story
  • The far-right Alternative for Germany won 43.8% in Saxony-Anhalt’s state election, up 23 points from 2021, leaving Chancellor Friedrich Merz facing what he called an “existential shock.”
  • The result put the AfD three seats short of a majority and raised the prospect that Germany could elect its first far-right extremist state leader since May 1945.
  • AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund said efforts to form a government had begun, while Merz warned that Germany’s postwar constitutional order was under time pressure.

Shock and fear showed on Friedrich Merz’s face as he confronted a political result that could reshape Germany. The chancellor acknowledged that the country was on course to elect its first far-right extremist leader since May 1945.

Existential shock

· Friedrich MerzThe German chancellor described the AfD’s victory and its implications for Germany, the CDU and himself.

The Alternative for Germany’s landslide in Saxony-Anhalt delivered 43.8% of the vote, with turnout at 76%. The result represented a 23-point gain on the party’s 2021 state performance, leaving it just three seats short of a majority. Merz called the outcome an “existential shock” for Germany, his centre-right Christian Democratic Union and himself.

“This is the worst defeat for the CDU in years, decades and something has changed, not just in Saxony-Anhalt but in all of Germany,” Merz said. He warned that the clock was ticking to save the country’s postwar constitutional order. The chancellor took office just over a year ago promising to halve the AfD’s support. Instead, he watched the 13-year-old party erode the standing of his 81-year-old political home.

This is the worst defeat for the CDU in years, decades and something has changed, not just in Saxony-Anhalt but in all of Germany.

· Friedrich MerzMerz assessed the scale of the CDU’s setback after the state election.

The drama was already visible in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt’s capital. Around midnight, AfD supporters left their election-night venue after it ran out of beer, reportedly after 250 litres, and crossed the city to join the more subdued CDU gathering. They drank their defeated rivals’ beer and posted videos singing, “This is what victors look like.”

This is what victors look like.

· AfD supportersAfD supporters sang the phrase after moving to the CDU election-night venue.

On Monday, AfD leaders arrived in Berlin celebrating their success. Ulrich Siegmund, the party’s 35-year-old state leader, said work to elect him prime minister had begun. He said the party could attract renegade lawmakers or reach strategic agreements with smaller parties. Calling the vote “historic,” Siegmund said it was decisive for both Saxony-Anhalt and Germany, and vowed to help “sweep through all the federal states”. He exchanged flattering messages with Elon Musk and predicted that AfD co-leader Alice Weidel would become Germany’s next chancellor.

By the people, for the people

· Ulrich SiegmundThe AfD’s Saxony-Anhalt leader framed the election victory as a popular mandate.
About this summary

Originally published by Irish Times in English. 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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