AfD wins big in Saxony-Anhalt, dealing a blow to Chancellor Merz

Germany's far-right AfD won 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt's state election on Sunday, placing first and delivering a major blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives. The result puts the party within reach of state-level power for the first time since World War Two. The AfD, already Germany's most popular party nationally at 28%, campaigned on restricting immigration, restoring ties with Russia, cutting Ukraine support, and quitting the euro. Exit polls showed 87% of voters were unhappy with the federal government, with Merz's approval ratings at historic lows. Mainstream parties have refused to cooperate with the AfD, classified as right-wing extremist by domestic intelligence. The small BSW party proposed a non-partisan premier relying on shifting majorities, but AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund rejected the idea, leaving potential new elections as a possibility.