CDU's Güler: Merz 'never so dejected' after Saxony-Anhalt loss

The CDU's poor election result in Saxony-Anhalt has alarmed the party leadership, with federal board member Serap Güler calling it a clear rebuke of the federal government and saying she has never seen Chancellor Friedrich Merz so dejected. Güler warned against blaming the result solely on top candidate Sven Schulze, arguing the federal government must confront the fact that 60 percent of voters linked the outcome to Berlin, while also citing broader dissatisfaction with all established governing parties. Despite calling an AfD government "very, very terrible," Güler said she opposes preventing it "at all costs" after such a heavy loss, while Left Party candidate Elif Eralp accused the BSW of potentially paving the way for an AfD government.