German Chancellor Merz says he is “shocked” by AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz convened an emergency meeting of the leadership of the Christian Democratic Union to discuss the election results in Saxony-Anhalt. The far-right Alternative for Germany won here.

“I am shocked by the outcome of the elections. Our party is shaken to its core. We cannot continue as in the past, and this applies to both the CDU and the federal government,” he said, noting that the voting results show that deep reforms are needed.

“But I want to assure everyone in our country: our democratic institutions remain unshakable. Our constitution guarantees law and order. These words are addressed to our friends in Europe and around the world,” he emphasized.

Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt Sven Schulze, head of the local CDU branch, said that the party had lost its mandate to power in this federal state, and it had passed to the AfD. “We are going into opposition,” the politician said, emphasizing that the party does not intend to cooperate with the far right.