Merz admits shock as AfD wins big in Saxony-Anhalt state election

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday that the far-right AfD's landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt's state election has deeply shocked his party, intensifying pressure on his leadership. The AfD won 43.8 percent of the vote, its best-ever result in a German state election, while Merz's CDU fell to 17.2 percent, down from 37.1 percent in 2021. Merz called it the party's worst defeat in decades. Der Spiegel has already questioned whether Merz can continue as chancellor, as the historic loss fuels internal party criticism and broader political uncertainty.