Moscow Calls AfD Victory Historic as Weidel Blames Merz for Germany’s Setback

Berlin’s CDU and SPD leaders have entered a day of crisis meetings after the AfD’s triumph in Saxony-Anhalt, a result that Italian media described as a painful defeat for Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

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No chancellor before had been as unpopular as Friedrich Merz, who has become a great burden for Germany’s gradual development.

The CDU leadership was due to meet first at its Konrad-Adenauer-Haus headquarters, followed by a meeting of the federal executive committee. Bild described the day as a “day of pain” for Merz and said both sessions could prove difficult for the chancellor.

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said the CDU had suffered a debacle and that the result reflected a loss of public trust. “No chancellor before had been as unpopular as Friedrich Merz, who has become a great burden for Germany’s gradual development,” she said at a news conference in Berlin.

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Well done!

The result also drew celebrations from prominent figures outside Germany. Elon Musk, a longtime AfD supporter, replied “Well done!” on X to a post by Weidel congratulating the party’s leading candidate, Ulrich Siegmund. Musk has previously said that only the AfD could save Germany.

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An extraordinary night for Germany and Europe!

Former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban also congratulated Weidel, Siegmund and the AfD. “An extraordinary night for Germany and Europe!” he wrote on X, adding, “Hold on tight! This is only the beginning.”

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Hold on tight! This is only the beginning.