“This Is CDU’s Worst Defeat”: Merz Shocked by AfD Victory in Saxony-Anhalt

The AfD won 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, more than twice the result of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats, who received 17.2%. Merz described the outcome as a political shock and called it “the worst defeat the CDU has suffered in years, even decades.”

The chancellor said the election marked significant changes for both his party and Germany. He added that the result had affected him personally and carried consequences for the international situation.

Merz sought to reassure voters that Germany’s institutions remained resilient and stable. His government, he said, would ensure that the constitution was respected. He also presented that message to Germany’s partners in Europe and around the world, stressing that “Germany has a special responsibility, given its history.”

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This is the worst defeat the CDU has suffered in years, even decades.

Although the AfD performed better than predicted, it did not win an absolute majority in the state parliament. The party said the result gave it a mandate to govern Saxony-Anhalt, with a minority government among the possible options. The pro-Russian left-wing extremist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, which won 5.3%, has already said it would not object to an AfD-led minority government.

Other parties continue to apply the so-called firewall policy, rejecting cooperation with the AfD.

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Germany has a special responsibility, given its history.