The German chancellor said the result in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt signals a major reckoning is needed. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said the far-right AfD's election victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt had shaken his CDU party to its core and that "we cannot go back to business as usual". Alternative for Germany (AfD), whose growing influence is being viewed with concern by centrists and liberals in Poland and across Europe, won 43.8% of the vote in Sunday's state election, more than doubling its support from 2021. The party, which is pro-Russian and has voices critical of Poland, secured 39 of the 83 seats in the state legislature, three short of the outright majority it would need to govern alone. Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered a dramatic defeat, gaining about 17% of the vote and losing roughly half of its support compared with five years ago. Speaking on Monday following the election defeat, Merz said that Germany needs “fundamental reforms,” and added that his determination to deliver change remains “unwavering.” "I want to assure everyone in our country of this: Our institutions are resilient and stable. Our Basic Law protects and guarantees this order. This message is also directed at our friends in Europe and across the globe," he added. "This is a result from which we cannot go back to business as usual." German newspaper Bild reported that Merz called crisis talks within the CDU earlier on Monday to discuss how the party, which governs on a national level, should respond to the election result. Commenting on the results, Merz reportedly said: "This shakes our party to its very foundations." "We cannot simply carry on as before, nor can I, nor can the federal government," he was quoted as saying by Bild. AfD eyes national election victory Alice Weidel, a co-leader of the AfD, said on Monday her party’s goal was now to win the next national election, scheduled to take place in 2029. “My stated goal is to significantly widen the gap in a very short time and grow to at least 40% for the next federal election,” she added. Weidel said on Sunday that she expected “the current chancellor to be replaced before Christmas.” In Saxony-Anhalt, however, it remains unclear if the AfD will be able to form a state government. Germany’s major parties have long maintained a “political firewall” against cooperation with the AfD to prevent it from gaining further political influence. Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, said that the AfD would seek talks with various groups. He added that his experience on the campaign trail had shown that some conservatives share an understanding of the AfD’s positions. “What will be crucial and fascinating, even at the federal level, is whether these voices will prevail or not,” he said, adding that the party would welcome individual politicians willing to “step out of their comfort zone” and support the AfD. Worry in Poland Classified in Saxony-Anhalt as a far-right extremist group by the state’s domestic intelligence service, the AfD has been accused by critics of promoting right-wing extremism, pursuing anti-democratic goals and maintaining political ties to Russia. The AfD’s growing influence is also being viewed with concern in Poland, with the country’s centrist prime minister Donald Tusk saying on Monday that “only idiots or traitors can be happy about the AfD’s triumph in Germany,” in an apparent reference to domestic right-wing opposition. Often accused of harboring pro-Russia sentiments, AfD politicians have been regularly calling for the normalization of relations with Moscow and an end to military aid to Kyiv. The party has also repeatedly made critical and revisionist claims regarding Poland, including rejecting demands in Poland for World War II reparations. It has also called for the reconstruction of the Nord Stream pipelines, an end to sanctions on Russia and a reduction of the US military presence in Europe. Last year, AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla said that Poland could possibly become a threat to Germany, while dismissing the possibility of any immediate danger from Russia. [This article includes reporting from Reuters]
