Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Chairman Friedrich Merz held a joint press conference with Saxony-Anhalt Prime Minister Sven Schulze after his party's Federal Executive Board meeting in Berlin.

Regarding the election result, Merz stated, "We are all in deep shock. We did not expect such a result."

Merz stated that the result should be accepted as part of democratic rules, but added that they cannot return to daily business as if nothing happened.

Merz said, "This is the heaviest election defeat the CDU has suffered in years, even decades."

Stating that people being able to change their political attitudes is the essence of democracy, Merz said, "There is something that is not open to voting, and that is our rules for living together and the values guaranteed in the constitution."

Emphasizing that Germany carries a special responsibility stemming from its history, Merz underlined that they will continue to protect the country's political and constitutional order.

Merz noted that following the election result, Germany needs fundamental reforms and the government must better explain its decisions to the public.

Stating that he is aware of his personal responsibility towards his country, Merz emphasized his determination to fulfill this responsibility.

To a question about whether he was considering "personal consequences," Merz replied, "Giving up is not an option for me."

The AfD won the state parliament elections held in Saxony-Anhalt with 43.8% of the vote but failed to secure the necessary majority to govern alone.

According to the provisional official results announced by the state election board, the AfD came in first with a clear lead, securing 43.8% of the votes.

The AfD more than doubled its 20.8% vote share from the 2021 election, recording its strongest result ever in a state parliament election.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lost 19.9 percentage points compared to 2021, becoming the second party with 17.2% of the vote.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD), which increased its vote by 0.9 percentage points compared to the previous election, came in third with 9.3%.