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Germany’s Political Earthquake: Why the Far Right Swept Ahead and What It Means for Merz

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish 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 about 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, compared with 17% for Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union.
  • The result intensified pressure on Merz, whose coalition government faces low popularity, economic weakness and criticism over migration and economic policies.
  • AfD leader Alice Weidel called for new federal elections and said the regional result marked the start of a campaign to bring her party to national power.

The Alternative for Germany’s historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt has pushed Chancellor Friedrich Merz into a political crisis. The far-right party won about 44% of the vote, compared with 17% for Merz’s Christian Democratic Union, turning one of the CDU’s traditional strongholds into a major defeat.

AfD leader Alice Weidel used the result to demand a change in direction and call for new federal elections. The party came close to governing a German state for the first time since 1945, while the CDU suffered its worst result in decades in the region.

We are all deeply shocked. We did not expect a result like this, but we have to accept it. These are the rules of our democracy.

· Friedrich MerzThe German chancellor addressed the CDU leadership after the party’s severe defeat in Saxony-Anhalt.

Merz acknowledged the scale of the setback at a meeting of the CDU leadership. “We are all deeply shocked. We did not expect a result like this, but we have to accept it. These are the rules of our democracy,” he said. He added that the outcome had changed not only Saxony-Anhalt but all of Germany, with international repercussions as well.

The most devastating electoral defeat the CDU has suffered in years, even decades

· Friedrich MerzMerz assessed the scale of the CDU’s regional loss.

Merz called it “the most devastating electoral defeat the CDU has suffered in years, even decades.” The CDU and its coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party, began crisis meetings in Berlin to assess the consequences.

The pressure comes as Merz’s popularity stands at historic lows. His government, in power since May 2025, faces a weak economy, tensions with its Social Democratic partners and criticism of its migration and economic policies. An Infratest dimap poll for public broadcaster ARD found that 87% of voters in Saxony-Anhalt were dissatisfied with the government. A separate ZDF survey found that three-quarters of the state’s residents believed Merz had hurt the CDU’s result.

Never has a chancellor been as unpopular as Friedrich Merz

· Alice WeidelThe AfD leader attacked Merz after her party’s strong regional result.

Weidel said, “Never has a chancellor been as unpopular as Friedrich Merz,” and described him as a “burden” for Germany. She presented the regional result as the first step in a campaign to take her party into federal government, with a stated goal of winning at least 40% in the legislative elections scheduled for 2029.

A burden

· Alice WeidelWeidel characterized Merz’s effect on Germany while calling for new federal elections.
About this summary

Originally published by La Nación 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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