AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt election, Merz says CDU 'shocked to the core'

The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) won the state election in Saxony-Anhalt with 43.8 percent of the vote, but fell three seats short of an absolute majority. Government formation is expected to be difficult as established parties refuse to cooperate with the AfD. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his CDU party was "shocked to the core" by the result, calling it a "dramatic" defeat and the party's biggest loss in decades. He ruled out cooperation with the AfD but said Germany needs "far-reaching reforms" and rejected calls to step down. Election observers reported "enormous" amounts of disinformation during the campaign, partly attributed to Russian propaganda networks targeting mainstream party candidates. The AfD plans to nominate Ulrich Siegmund as minister-president, with the left-populist BSW saying it would not block his candidacy.