Germany's AfD taunts Chancellor Merz after regional election rout

A senior figure in Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) used a parliamentary budget debate on Wednesday to mock Chancellor Friedrich Merz, days after the party delivered a crushing defeat to his centre-right CDU in a regional election. AfD's national co-leader Alice Weidel told Merz that voters in Saxony-Anhalt had not merely punished his party but "pulverized" it, and that his time in office was running out.

The election on Sunday saw AfD secure its strongest result ever in the eastern state, while the CDU's support roughly halved. The outcome highlights how the AfD has broadened its appeal beyond its traditional anti-immigration platform, tapping into wider public frustration as Germany's national government struggles with a sluggish economy.

Weidel predicted that upcoming elections would hand her party a "clear mandate to govern." Merz, however, responded that the AfD had failed to win an outright majority in Saxony-Anhalt, despite having said it would only govern with one. "You won't get majorities anywhere in Germany with these policies," he said, calling Weidel a "destructive force."

The chancellor also took aim at the AfD's stance on Ukraine and Russia. The party opposes military aid to Kyiv and wants sanctions on Moscow lifted. Merz reiterated Germany's commitment to supporting Ukraine and accused the AfD of standing by Russia. He also criticised the party's use of the term "remigration," which he called a "synonym for ethnic cleansing according to origin and skin color."

Two more state elections are due on September 20, in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The AfD's success has drawn praise from far-right parties across Europe and a comment from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said on social media that Germans were tired of "horrible Immigration rules."