Chancellor Merz Denounces AfD Win
Germany’s chancellor denounced AfD’s far-right election win as Trump cheered populists.
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Updated Sep 9, 7:41pm ETEvery side, every morning
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The reporting
The Alternative for Germany won nearly 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt’s state election on Sunday, putting the far-right party ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU but short of a governing majority. In a Bundestag debate after the result, Merz called AfD a “destructive force” and said its “remigration” policy amounted to “ethnic cleansing” for skilled workers. AfD leader Alice Weidel taunted Merz over the defeat. President Donald Trump praised the AfD result on Truth Social, linking it to opposition to Germany’s immigration rules.
Analysis & opinion
Far-right threatMostly Left
The AfD’s Saxony-Anhalt victory is a dangerous sign that far-right politics is gaining strength in Germany. Its rise threatens democratic norms, weakens the firewall against extremism, and shows how authoritarian nationalist politics can spread beyond its original champions.
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