Merz Refuses to Quit After AfD State Election Surge
Bastillepost · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would stay in office after his Christian Democratic Union suffered a severe defeat in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, where Alternative for Germany recorded its biggest win since the party was founded. Merz said giving up was not an option, while insisting he would not work with the pro-Russia AfD and would press on with reforms.
Key Points
- In the September 6 Saxony-Anhalt state election in eastern Germany, AfD won nearly 44% of the vote and 39 of 83 seats, becoming the largest party
- AfD remained short of an outright majority, needing 42 seats to control the state parliament, leaving government formation dependent on support or abstentions from other parties
- Merz called the result the CDU's worst defeat in decades, said the party's base had been shaken, and acknowledged his low approval ratings hurt CDU candidates.
- The CDU's vote share in Saxony-Anhalt fell from 37.1% in 2021 to 18.5%, a major reversal for a party that had led the state since 2002
- Merz said he would not resign, rejected cooperation with AfD, pledged continued support for Ukraine, and accused Russia of interfering in German elections by aiding the far right
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the result points to deeper instability in Europe's biggest economy at a time when Berlin remains central to policy on Ukraine, Russia and the wider European political balance. Merz's refusal to work with AfD means the immediate focus will shift to coalition arithmetic and whether Germany's established parties can contain the far right in upcoming local elections.