Merz faces political crisis after CDU's worst result in Saxony-Anhalt
The CDU suffered a devastating defeat in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, winning only 17.2 percent of the vote, while the far-right AfD surged to 43.8 percent, leaving Chancellor Friedrich Merz facing difficult weeks ahead. Merz left the CDU headquarters in Berlin at 10:16 PM before the final result was announced, with his party performing worse than expected. He made no comment, leaving statements to General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann, who called it a "very heavy result." The AfD gained 23 percentage points compared to 2021 but narrowly missed an absolute majority. Coalition talks remain uncertain, and upcoming elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on September 20 could further threaten Merz's position as chancellor.