PoliticsFirewall compromised: has Friedrich Merz blown ‘democracy’s last shot’?

German commentators reacted with doom and panic after the far-right Alternative für Deutschland won nearly 44% in Saxony-Anhalt, falling three seats short of an absolute majority. The party is seeking support to form Germany’s first rightwing extremist state government since the Nazi period, putting Friedrich Merz’s centre-right government and its anti-extremist strategy under pressure.

German politicsAfDSaxony-AnhaltFriedrich Merz

TThe Guardian★★★★☆2026-09-12 04:00Original