Merkel reacts to far-right victory: ‘My heart is bleeding’

Former German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed regret over the electoral victory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

TodayPress TV reports, citing Der Spiegel, that Merkel described the election results as a “turning point, truly a turning point that we are experiencing” in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany.

“As a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), I have to say this openly: my heart is bleeding,” Merkel said.

It should be noted that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) won the Saxony-Anhalt state parliamentary elections by a wide margin. The party received 43.8% of the vote. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which leads the state government, secured 17.2% — more than two and a half times lower than the winning party’s result. For the AfD, this is the highest result ever recorded by the party in a state election.

Giymat Mahir