Landslide Victory for Germany’s Far-Right AfD in State Election Piles Pressure on Chancellor Merz
The far-right party won 43.8% of the vote and may need defectors or a five-party coalition to govern, officials said.
- On Sunday, the far-right Alternative Germany party secured a landslide victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, potentially enabling the formation of the first right-wing populist state government in Germany since the Nazi era.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced intense pressure after failing to weaken the party as promised, as widespread discontent with the national government's inability to stimulate Germany's sluggish economy fueled the shift.
- AfD captured 43.8% of the vote, more than double its showing five years ago, while the Christian Democrats polled 17.2%, losing half their support; turnout reached 77.8%.
- Mainstream parties have maintained a "firewall" refusing to work with AfD, yet the party could theoretically govern by forming an unusual coalition with the hard-left BSW, which received 5.3% of the vote.
- AfD national leader Alice Weidel described the result as a "signal for change" regarding migration policy, while billionaire Elon Musk and Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev separately praised the outcome.
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According to Merz, the German constitution can be protected from right-wing radical forces, but Russia is rejoicing at the result.
Landslide victory for Germany’s AfD in election piles pressure on Merz
BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was facing pressure Monday after the far-right Alternative Germany (AfD) party swept to a landslide victory in a regional election, possibly paving the way for the first right-wing populist state government since the Nazi era. AfD, classified by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency as an extremist group in some regions […]
The German Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, participates in a collective interview in Berlin, one day after the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, on Monday (7). REUTERS/Axel Schmidt The overwhelming victory of the far right in the elections of Saxony-Anhalt translates the erosion of Germany's traditional politics and a reversal of catastrophic proportions for the federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, wh…
The state election in Saxony-Anhalt is causing a stir worldwide: International media report on the high election results of the AfD and discuss possible consequences for Germany. WORLD reporter Mariella Sonntag reports.
In a statement to the nation, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his “deep shock” on Monday, September 7, following the historic victory of the far-right AfD party in the Saxony-Anhalt elections. He asserted that these results demonstrate the need for profound reforms, but emphasized that fundamental democratic values must remain in place.
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