Merz and Weidel clash in Bundestag after AfD's Saxony-Anhalt landslide

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and AfD leader Alice Weidel are set to clash in a Bundestag debate on Wednesday, three days after the AfD's landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt. The debate follows the CDU's worst electoral defeat in decades. The AfD won 43.8 percent of the vote in Sunday's state election, more than doubling its 2021 result, while the CDU collapsed to 17.2 percent. Merz has admitted mistakes but ruled out resigning, while Weidel has set a 40 percent target for the next federal election. US President Donald Trump congratulated the AfD on its victory, saying the party is "on the rise" and has support from Washington. Vice President JD Vance previously met with Weidel and warned against political "firewalls" excluding populist parties.