After the election debacle: Merz: "Giving up is not an option for me"
After the election debacle in Saxony-Anhalt, the Chancellor appears shocked, humble, and self-critical - but also combative. In two weeks, it will become clear how much support he still has within the CDU.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed shock at the far-right Alternative for Germany party's landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt, but vowed to continue fighting for the success of his centre-right coalition government. The Christian Democratic Union suffered a severe defeat, losing nearly 20 percentage points, with Merz acknowledging his own mistakes and weaknesses.
Merz announced talks with the Social Democratic Party, which wants to revisit pension reform and other issues, and emphasized the need for reforms while being open to adjusting them. The party's authority has been questioned amid speculation about Merz's future as chancellor, with two upcoming state elections potentially posing a challenge to his leadership.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
