Germany's Merz under pressure after far-right AfD's historic win in Saxony-Anhalt
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces mounting pressure after the far-right AfD won a historic 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt's state election, nearly securing an absolute majority and its first state government. The CDU's defeat, with only 18%, prompted Merz to convene his party on Monday, while the AfD's lead candidate mocked him and urged a government takeover. The result marks the first time since World War II that a party classified as right-wing extremist has come so close to power. Political analysts call the outcome a "tectonic shift" in Germany's party system, as the AfD's success in the ex-communist east challenges the post-war consensus against far-right governance. Coalition talks loom, with the BSW potentially acting as kingmaker.