00:22Germany's far-right AFD has just delivered a stunning political shock,
00:28surging into first place in a state election and dealing a major blow to Chancellor Friedrich Mertz.
00:35And the bigger story is not just the size of the victory,
00:40it is what this result could mean for Germany's political future.
00:44In Saxony-Anhalt, the Alternative for Germany, or AFD, won around 44% of the vote according to exit polls.
00:54That puts the far-right party within reach of state power for the first time in Germany since the end
01:01of World War II.
01:02But there is an important catch. The AFD did not win an overall majority, meaning it cannot simply form a
01:11government on its own.
01:12So what happens next? Mertz's conservatives are now expected to explore talks with other parties to build a governing coalition.
01:21But there is a major obstacle. Germany's mainstream parties have refused to work with the AFD,
01:28which has been classified as right-wing extremist by the local office of Germany's Domestic Intelligence Service.
01:35And that makes the path to government extremely complicated.
01:39The AFD's lead candidate, 35-year-old Ulrich Sigmund, celebrated the result as a historic breakthrough.
01:47He argued that voters had clearly demanded political change and presented Saxony-Anhalt as a first step toward the party's
01:56bigger goal of gaining national power in the 2029 federal election.
02:00But this election is also a major warning sign for Friedrich Martz.
02:05His approval ratings have fallen sharply, while voters have expressed frustration with his government, Germany's sluggish economy, and his communication
02:15style.
02:15One ARD poll found that a staggering 87 percent of voters in the state were unhappy with the federal government.
02:24That means this election was not simply an AFD victory. It was also a powerful vote of no confidence in
02:32Mertz.
02:32And the AFD is already Germany's most popular party at the national level.
02:37Its agenda includes tougher restrictions on immigration, restoring ties with Russia, cutting support for Ukraine,
02:44and leaving the Euro.
02:46The result has already triggered celebrations among far-right movements across Europe,
02:52while US President Donald Trump also posted the election result on TruthSocial.
02:57Now the immediate question is whether the AFD can actually translate this huge vote share into political power.
03:04For now, the answer is unclear.
03:07But one thing is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
03:11Germany's political center is under serious pressure, and the far-right is gaining ground.
03:18Saxony-Anhalt may be only one state, but politically, this result could be a much bigger warning for Berlin.
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