Merz shaken as far-right AfD wins big in Saxony-Anhalt

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ruled out cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) after the party won nearly 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt's state election, a result he said shook his party "to its very foundations." The AfD, which wants to deport immigrants, halt support for Ukraine, and restore ties with Moscow, won 39 of 83 seats but fell short of an absolute majority, prompting appeals for conservative lawmakers to help it govern. Merz vowed not to resign or change his reform agenda, while defending increased defence spending and support for Ukraine. The result alarmed neighbours France and Poland, with French Finance Minister Roland Lescure calling it a "very, very worrying signal." The AfD, classified as right-wing extremist by domestic intelligence, aims for at least 40% in the 2029 national election, while the populist left-wing BSW is the only party open to working with it.