AfD's Saxony-Anhalt Win Sparks Coalition Talks

Germany's far-right AfD party won a decisive victory in Sunday's regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, prompting its leaders to claim Chancellor Friedrich Merz is a burden and begin negotiations to form a regional government. The party's co-leader Alice Weidel said Monday that Merz's unpopularity makes him a handicap for Germany's prosperity. AfD's regional leader Ulrich Siegmund, whose party won 44% of the vote, said negotiations are underway to secure the three additional seats needed for an absolute majority, potentially by courting lawmakers from Chancellor Merz's CDU party or seeking tacit support from the pro-Russian left-wing BSW party. Weidel also set national ambitions, targeting at least 40% in the 2029 federal elections. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized the result, saying only "idiots or traitors" in Poland would celebrate the AfD's victory, referring to opposition parties that welcomed the outcome. The AfD's platform includes anti-immigration policies, opposition to Germany's energy transition, and criticism of financial support for Ukraine.