German chancellor vows to stay in office despite AfD triumph in state election

• 01The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) won approximately 44% of the vote in the Saxony-Anhalt state election.
• 02CDU Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the AfD victory shook his party to its foundations and described it as the worst defeat the CDU had suffered in decades.
• 03AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund led the AfD to victory but fell short of an absolute majority, requiring the party to secure support from other lawmakers to form a government.
• 04Exit polls indicated that only 9% of voters in Saxony-Anhalt approved of Merz's performance.
• 05The German domestic intelligence service has listed the AfD’s Saxony-Anhalt chapter as a "confirmed rightwing extremist" group.
• 06The AfD has pledged mass deportations of immigrants and asylum seekers, increased social welfare spending, and reduced state support for public broadcasters and cultural institutions.
• 07Merz affirmed that Germany would remain committed to its allies and its defense of freedom against Russia, stating he would not change his stance on Ukraine.
• 08Dirk Kurbjuweit, editor-in-chief of Der Spiegel, called for Merz’s replacement, stating he was the wrong man for the office.
• 09The conservative-left populist BSW party signaled openness to working with the AfD but had previously ruled out joining a state government with them.
• 10Merz promised that Germany’s institutions are resilient and that the country would uphold its values and constitution regardless of the AfD’s success in Saxony-Anhalt.

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Friedrich Merz vowed to remain in office after his conservative CDU suffered a landslide defeat to the far-right AfD in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, where the AfD secured approximately 44% of the vote. Merz acknowledged the loss as a severe blow to his party and attributed part of the result to his low personal approval ratings, while maintaining his commitment to reform and international alliances. The AfD, now just three seats short of a majority, aims to form a state government by recruiting support from other parties, despite being classified as extremist by domestic intelligence.