Saxony-Anhalt election: Far-right AfD's win weakens Merz and alarms Europe

The far-right AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt's state election is a defeat for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and a warning to European leaders facing similar economic stagnation and public disillusionment. The party fell just short of an absolute majority in the state parliament. The result has shaken Merz's CDU "to its very foundations," with 87% of voters expressing dissatisfaction with his government. Merz has ruled out cooperating with the AfD, which sees this as a step toward winning the 2029 federal elections, though no immediate internal revolt against him has emerged. The outcome signals a global populist wave, worrying France's finance minister ahead of its presidential election. Saxony-Anhalt's recovery since reunification, including low unemployment, did not prevent voters from disregarding warnings that an AfD vote would deter investment and skilled workers.