Merkel 'heart bleeds' as far-right AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt election

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel said her "heart bleeds" as a CDU member following the far-right AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt's state election, calling the result "simply shocking" and a "real cut in modern German history." Merkel warned that voters are increasingly prioritizing feelings over facts, citing the AfD's leading candidate dismissing falling unemployment figures with "it doesn't feel like that." She urged politicians to improve communication strategies and cautioned that feelings trumping facts would constitute "civilizational regression." The election outcome has triggered broader reactions, including protests in Cologne and economic concerns, while Germany also grapples with poor PISA education scores and a widening social divide in schools.