Chancellor Merz confesses shock at Saxony-Anhalt election defeat... ‘Giving up is not an option’

(Berlin = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Gye-yeon = German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was "deeply shocked" by the results of the Saxony-Anhalt state legislative election, in which the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won a landslide victory, calling it "the most serious defeat in decades."

Chancellor Merz said at a press conference on the 7th (local time) that he did not expect a major defeat, saying, "As of yesterday, changes have occurred not only in Saxony-Anhalt but throughout Germany."

He said, “We, including myself, must strive to accept a variety of emotions and communicate more deeply,” and partially agreed with the analysis that recent reform efforts, such as raising the retirement age, have lost votes.

However, he drew a line at the claims of responsibility raised by some, saying, "Giving up is not an option for me. It is my responsibility to open opportunities for the next generation."

Although Prime Minister Merz ranks last in favorability in a survey of 20 major politicians, he has announced his intention to run for re-election in the Federal Assembly elections scheduled for 2029. When asked whether the results of this election influenced these thoughts, he replied, "I am thinking about many things, but I am not thinking about the 2029 general election. I am thinking about how we can achieve political success together again."

The centrist-conservative Christian Democratic Party (CDU), headed by Chancellor Merz, won 17.2% of the votes in the Saxony-Anhalt state assembly election the previous day, securing only 15 of the 83 seats. Compared to the election five years ago, the vote rate decreased by 19.9% ​​and the number of seats decreased by 25.

Inside and outside the party, there are rumors that some Saxony-Anhalt state lawmakers belonging to the CDU will support AfD prime ministerial candidate Ulrich Siegmund during the government formation process, causing quite a shock wave. Last month, a rift within the party was detected as it became known that a CDU political figure active in Saxony-Anhalt had donated 10,000 euros (about 15.65 million won) to the AfD.

AfD, which won a landslide victory with 43.8% of the vote, immediately announced its intention to challenge the federal government in the next general election.

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel argued at a press conference that day, "There has never been a chancellor as unpopular as Merz. He has been a huge burden to Germany's development."

Representative Weidel said, "The CDU and CSU (Christian Social Party) will never win the federal parliamentary election again. This is a fact," and added, "The goal is to widen the gap (with the CDU and CSU coalition) in the shortest possible time and raise the approval rating to at least 40% ahead of the next election."

In a survey by public opinion polling agency INSA released on the 5th, the AfD had a national approval rating of 28%, ahead of the CDU-CSU coalition (20%), just outside the margin of error.

Chancellor Merz and the ruling CDU/CSU coalition are expected to be tested again in the Berlin-Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state legislative elections held on the 20th of this month.

AfD had an approval rating of 35% in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, beating the Social Democratic Party (SPD, 32%), the Left Party (11%), and the CDU/CSU coalition (8%). Even in Berlin, where progressive parties are traditionally strong, the approval rating has risen to 18%, catching up with the CDU/CSU coalition (20%) and the Left Party (19%).