--- title: "Merz calls AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt the most serious CDU defeat in decades and warns of consequences for Ukraine" description: "German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt the most serious CDU defeat in decades and warned of the consequences for support of Ukraine." date: 2026-09-07T17:34:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/merz-warns-of-consequences-of-afd-victory-for-ukraine tags: [germany, afd, cdu, saxony-anhalt, ukraine, merz, elections, russia] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Merz calls AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt the most serious CDU defeat in decades and warns of consequences for Ukraine ![Friedrich Merz in front of the German flag comments on the CDU's defeat in Saxony-Anhalt and the consequences for Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/07/merc-predupredil-o-posledstviyakh-pobedy-adg-dlya-ukrainy/merc-predupredil-o-posledstviyakh-pobedy-adg-dlya-ukrainy-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Merz called the AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt the most serious CDU defeat in recent decades - The Chancellor stated that he will not back down from supporting Ukraine and countering Russian influence - Merz indicated that the Kremlin is trying to influence the results of elections in Germany - According to Merz, the CDU and SPD must prevent the further strengthening of right-wing populism German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reacted to the election results in the state of Saxony-Anhalt during a press conference, where the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) emerged victorious. According to the head of government, the outcome was an unexpected turn of events that affected not only the specific region but the entire political architecture of the country. "We are all deeply surprised. We did not expect such a turn of events. Since yesterday, something has changed not only in Saxony-Anhalt but throughout Germany," Merz stated, emphasizing that the election result would have far-reaching consequences both domestically and on the international stage. ### Impact on the international situation and the position on Ukraine Merz paid particular attention to the link between domestic political shifts and Germany's foreign policy course. The Chancellor directly stated that the AfD's victory "may please Russia" and declared that the Kremlin is deliberately trying to influence the results of elections in Germany. At the same time, he categorically rejected any possibility of adjusting Berlin's course toward Kyiv: "I will not budge by a millimeter from my fundamental conviction that we must defend our freedom from Russia, especially now. And if we stop supporting Ukraine, the situation will not improve tomorrow. It will become even worse," Merz emphasized. In his words, the goal of the Russian leadership is to destabilize the Western system of values, and these values, in the Chancellor's view, cannot be a subject of bargaining or negotiation. ### "The most serious CDU defeat in decades" Commenting on the result of his own party β€” the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) β€” Merz acknowledged that the AfD "calls into question Germany's democratic institutions and rules," and therefore such an election outcome cannot be ignored. "This affects us β€” and me personally as well. And I must admit: this is the most serious election defeat the CDU has suffered in recent years, even in recent decades. All of this, of course, will have consequences," the Chancellor stated. He added that the governing coalition of the CDU and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) must prevent the further strengthening of right-wing populism, as well as better explain to citizens the essence of the reforms being carried out and more convincingly convey the reasons for the corresponding decisions. ### Contradictory data Publications from various outlets note a slight discrepancy in the wording Merz used to describe his state after the results were announced. In the text quoting the Chancellor's direct speech (RBC-Ukraine), he says: "We are all deeply surprised." Meanwhile, in the headline and presentation of the material on the Delfi.lv portal, the same reaction is conveyed as "deeply shocked." The difference between "surprise" and "shock" may be either the result of a stenographic inaccuracy or translation, or a reflection of the fact that in different segments of the press conference Merz used both formulations. The essence of the assessment β€” the unexpectedness and severity of the result for the CDU β€” is consistent in both versions. ### Context: what Ukrainian experts say Earlier, former Ukrainian Consul in Munich and Chancellor of the Ukrainian Free University Dmytro Shevchenko noted that the AfD's victory in local elections could over time affect the volume and nature of aid to Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens in Germany. At the same time, he emphasized that at the federal state level, questions of foreign policy and military support are not directly decided, and the holding of early federal elections in Germany currently remains unlikely. Thus, even with the AfD remaining in regional parliaments, key decisions on supporting Kyiv continue to be made in Berlin, where, as Merz stated, the course is not changing. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [AfD's victory shakes Germany: Merz warns of consequences for Ukraine and the West](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/peremoga-adn-skolihnula-nimechchinu-merts-1788802306.html) - Основной источник прямых Ρ†ΠΈΡ‚Π°Ρ‚ ΠœΠ΅Ρ€Ρ†Π°. ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΡƒΠ»ΠΈΡ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΡƒ Β«Π³Π»ΡƒΠ±ΠΎΠΊΠΎ ΡƒΠ΄ΠΈΠ²Π»Π΅Π½Ρ‹Β», заявлСниС ΠΎ послСдствиях для Π£ΠΊΡ€Π°ΠΈΠ½Ρ‹ ΠΈ России, ΠΎΡ†Π΅Π½ΠΊΡƒ пораТСния Π₯Π”Π‘. - [Merz states Germany's course on Russia remains unchanged after AfD's victory](https://news.mail.ru/politics/72273200/) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Π½Π΅ΠΈΠ·ΠΌΠ΅Π½Π½ΠΎΡΡ‚ΡŒ Π²Π½Π΅ΡˆΠ½Π΅ΠΏΠΎΠ»ΠΈΡ‚ΠΈΡ‡Π΅ΡΠΊΠΎΠ³ΠΎ курса Π€Π Π“ ΠΈ ΠΏΠΎΠ·ΠΈΡ†ΠΈΡŽ ΠΏΠΎ Π£ΠΊΡ€Π°ΠΈΠ½Π΅. - [AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt and its impact on German politics](https://novosti.ua/politics/merts-predupredil-o-vliyanii-pobedy-adg-na-podderzhku-ukrainy) - Π”ΠΎΠΏΠΎΠ»Π½ΠΈΡ‚Π΅Π»ΡŒΠ½Ρ‹ΠΉ контСкст ΠΏΠΎ влиянию ΠΏΠΎΠ±Π΅Π΄Ρ‹ АдГ Π½Π° Π²Π½ΡƒΡ‚Ρ€Π΅Π½Π½ΡŽΡŽ ΠΏΠΎΠ»ΠΈΡ‚ΠΈΠΊΡƒ Π“Π΅Ρ€ΠΌΠ°Π½ΠΈΠΈ. - ["The heaviest CDU defeat in decades." Merz "deeply shocked" by AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt](https://rus.delfi.lv/57862/v-mire/120133415/tyazheleyshee-porazhenie-hds-za-desyatiletiya-merc-gluboko-shokirovan-pobedoy-adg-v-saksonii-anhalt) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ ΠΎΡ†Π΅Π½ΠΊΡƒ пораТСния Π₯Π”Π‘. ЀиксируСт Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΡƒΠ»ΠΈΡ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΡƒ Β«Π³Π»ΡƒΠ±ΠΎΠΊΠΎ ΡˆΠΎΠΊΠΈΡ€ΠΎΠ²Π°Π½Β», Ρ‡Ρ‚ΠΎ Π½Π΅Π·Π½Π°Ρ‡ΠΈΡ‚Π΅Π»ΡŒΠ½ΠΎ расходится с Β«Π³Π»ΡƒΠ±ΠΎΠΊΠΎ ΡƒΠ΄ΠΈΠ²Π»Π΅Π½Ρ‹Β» ΠΈΠ· Π Π‘Πš-Π£ΠΊΡ€Π°ΠΈΠ½Π° β€” вынСсСно Π² Π±Π»ΠΎΠΊ ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π΅Ρ‡ΠΈΠΉ. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What exactly did Merz say about the consequences of the AfD's victory for Ukraine? **A:** Merz stated that he will not budge "by a millimeter" from supporting Ukraine and countering Russian influence. He emphasized that if Germany stops supporting Ukraine, the situation will become even worse, not better. ### Q: Does the AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt constitute grounds for early federal elections? **A:** According to expert Dmytro Shevchenko, early federal elections in Germany are currently unlikely. Questions of foreign policy and support for Ukraine are decided at the federal level, not in individual states. ### Q: How did Merz assess the CDU's result in these elections? **A:** The Chancellor called it "the most serious election defeat the CDU has suffered in recent years, even in recent decades," and acknowledged that the result affects him personally. ### Q: Did Merz link the AfD's victory to Russian influence? **A:** Yes. Merz stated that the election result "may please Russia" and that the Kremlin is trying to influence the results of elections in Germany. He also indicated that the goal of the Russian leadership is the destabilization of the Western system of values.