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🇮🇪 Ireland /Elections & Politics

Merz Under Pressure After Far-Right AfD Scores Election Triumph

From RTÉ News · () English

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

At a glance

News From a news agency Ongoing story
  • The AfD won 44% in Saxony-Anhalt, far ahead of the CDU's projected 18%, bringing the far-right party close to forming its first state government.
  • The result leaves the AfD three seats short of an absolute majority and could lead to lengthy coalition negotiations in the regional parliament.
  • The defeat adds pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose approval ratings have fallen, while AfD leaders described the result as a model for the 2029 national election.

The AfD's 44% showing in Saxony-Anhalt has brought Germany's far-right party within reach of running its first state government. The party won its biggest election victory yet on Sunday, crushing Chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right CDU, which received about 18% according to broadcasters' projections.

we often faced headwinds, and that wasn't always easy

· Sven SchulzeThe CDU state premier said national government policies had made his campaign more difficult.

Merz will meet with CDU colleagues to discuss the defeat in the former communist east. The CDU's visibly dejected state premier, Sven Schulze, said national government policies had not always helped his campaign. “We often faced headwinds, and that wasn't always easy,” he said.

The result sent shock waves through Germany, where extremist parties had been kept out of power in the post-war era. Daniel Guenther, the CDU premier of Schleswig-Holstein, called it a “shocking moment for our country.” He noted that the AfD state branch is classified as right-wing extremist by Germany's domestic intelligence agency.

For the first time since the end of World War II, the AfD, a party whose state branch is classified as right-wing extremist, is close to securing an absolute majority.

· Daniel GuentherThe CDU premier of Schleswig-Holstein described the AfD's near-majority as an unprecedented post-war development.

The AfD appeared to fall just short of an absolute majority, missing the 42-seat threshold by three seats. The parties opposed to it, including the CDU, centre-left SPD, Greens and far-left Die Linke, also lack a clear majority. The small BSW party could become a kingmaker if it crosses the 5% threshold, while the AfD could seek lawmakers willing to defect.

a very good campaigner

· Ulrich SiegmundThe AfD's winning candidate mocked Chancellor Friedrich Merz after the election result.

AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund, 35, mocked the 70-year-old Merz as “a very good campaigner” for the AfD. Siegmund said the party had “made history” and that voters had sent “a signal to Berlin.” He added that every day with Merz in the chancellery was “one day too many.” AfD co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla urged the state branch to seek power, portraying the result as a blueprint for the 2029 national election. The result came as Merz's approval ratings had fallen sharply, and he did not speak publicly while watching the results from CDU headquarters in Berlin.

made history

· Ulrich SiegmundSiegmund celebrated the AfD's result and said voters had sent a signal to Berlin.
About this summary

Originally published by RTÉ News 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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