AfD wins key German state election, alarming European leaders
European leaders expressed alarm Monday after Germany's far-right AfD party won a key state election in Saxony-Anhalt, with officials in France and Poland calling the result a worrying signal of rising populism. French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said German business leaders were "extremely concerned" about the victory, while Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski noted the AfD fell just short of an absolute majority. The party won 44% of the vote, delivering a major blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives. The AfD, already Germany's most popular party nationally, advocates strict immigration limits, restoring ties with Russia, cutting Ukraine support, and quitting the euro. Lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund called the result historic and a step toward federal elections in 2029.