# German chancellor vows to stay in office despite AfD triumph in state election

https://mins.news/en/item/48716

- The Guardian, 2026-09-07 17:48 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/07/german-chancellor-friedrich-merz-cdu-afd-saxony-anhalt

> Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the AfD’s near-44% victory in Saxony-Anhalt had shaken his CDU “to its very foundations”, calling it the party’s worst electoral defeat in decades. Despite low ratings and calls for his replacement, Merz vowed to remain in office, pursue reforms and maintain Germany’s support for Ukraine.

## Stories

- [Merz Government and AfD Political Rivalry](https://mins.news/en/topic/germany-merz-and-afd-politics) — Markdown: https://mins.news/en/topic/germany-merz-and-afd-politics.md

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