German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to remain in office and continue his government's reform agenda despite a crushing election defeat for his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Saxony-Anhalt, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) scored nearly 44% of the vote.
The result has plunged Germany's governing conservatives into their deepest political crisis yet, just 16 months into Merz's chancellorship. The AfD and its candidate Ulrich Siegmund fell short of an absolute majority, but the party is only three seats away from controlling the state parliament and is openly seeking support from lawmakers who could help it form the first far-right state government in Germany since the Nazi era.
Appearing visibly shaken in Berlin on Monday, Merz described the result as an unprecedented setback for his party. "We are all deeply shocked. This is the worst election defeat the CDU has suffered in years, or even decades," he said, adding that the result "will have consequences."
Despite the pressure, Merz rejected speculation that he could be replaced as chancellor. He said his determination to pursue economic and social reforms remained unchanged and insisted that abandoning the government's course was not an option.
