German Chancellor Merz rejects resignation calls after far-right AfD's state election win

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected resignation calls after the far-right AfD's historic state election victory, vowing to continue his government's reform agenda despite the setback. The anti-immigration, pro-Russia AfD won Saxony-Anhalt's election with 43.8% of the vote, falling just three seats short of an absolute majority. Merz acknowledged partial responsibility for the CDU's collapse to 17.2%, down from 37.1% in 2021, while insisting "giving up is not an option." Merz stressed Germany's constitutional values are non-negotiable and cited the country's historical responsibility, referencing its Nazi past. The result puts the far-right on the verge of governing a German state for the first time since 1945.