Merz and Weidel clash in Bundestag debate after AfD's Saxony-Anhalt win
Three days after the AfD's landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt, party leaders Alice Weidel and Friedrich Merz will face off in the Bundestag's general debate on Wednesday, with Weidel opening as opposition leader before the chancellor speaks. The debate follows the AfD more than doubling its 2021 result to win 43.8 percent in Sunday's state election, while the CDU collapsed to 17.2 percent. Merz has admitted mistakes but ruled out resigning, vowing to continue his reform agenda. US President Donald Trump congratulated the AfD, saying the party is "on the rise" and using the slogan "MGGA." Weidel has set a target of at least 40 percent for the next federal election, claiming the CDU can never win again.