Merz vows reforms despite far-right win in Saxony-Anhalt

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday he was "deeply shocked" by his party's crushing defeat to the far-right AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, acknowledging his own unpopularity contributed while vowing to press ahead with reforms. The CDU took just 17 percent against the AfD's 43.8 percent. Merz conceded his personal ratings and frustration over reform pace weighed on the campaign, but insisted his determination to continue with economic, pension, and healthcare reforms was unbroken. He also reassured allies that Germany's support for Ukraine remains unchanged despite the AfD's success. The result tests Germany's political "firewall" against far-right cooperation, as AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund seeks to become the first far-right state leader since the Nazi era, potentially with help from the left-populist BSW party.