German leader Friedrich Merz ‘shocked’ by polls loss to far-right AfD, vows to push on with reforms

BERLIN – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sept 7 that he was “deeply shocked” after his centre-right party suffered a heavy loss in the state polls to the far-right AfD, but vowed to push on with reforms.“This is the heaviest electoral defeat the (CDU party) has suffered in years, in decades,” a crestfallen Merz told a press conference, a day after the defeat in the ex-communist eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.“Naturally, this will have to have consequences.”The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which leads the ruling coalition at the national level, scored just 17 per cent in the vote, compared to almost 44 per cent for the anti-immigration, Russia-friendly Alternative for Germany (AfD).Sven Schulze, the state’s defeated CDU premier, acknowledged that the AfD, which is just short of the number of lawmakers needed to rule alone, had won the right to try to form a governing majority.“We are the opposition -– the mandate to govern now lies with the AfD,” he said alongside Merz.Merz also conceded his own low poll ratings had played a role in his party’s loss, as well as criticism his government has been slow to implement reforms.“I know that I personally was a constant topic in this election campaign. We know that the reforms were a constant topic in this election campaign,” he said.“We must try – I myself included – to reach people more effectively, including in the full range of their emotions,” he added.The 70-year-old nevertheless vowed to push on with a crucial policy overhaul in areas ranging from the economy to pensions and healthcare.“My determination to continue on the path of reform is unbroken,” he said.“But I know that we must do more than just justify these reforms, mathematically, economically. We have to explain them better,” he said.“This is about nothing more and nothing less than the future of our country, and the opportunities of our children and grandchildren.” AFP