The far-right AfD's victory in eastern Germany has sent a political signal to Berlin

0:00In Germany, an election in a small eastern region is sending shockwaves through the country and into Europe more broadly. The far-right AFD won big. And the party of German Chancellor Friedrich Meritz, the conservative Christian Democrats, received a record low number of votes, and that is putting more pressure on Meritz. Esmeen Nicholson reports. Evisions 2006 and 20. That's the man he has unnerved. The German Chancellor Friedrich Meritz. Hofmeitz's age 35-year-old Ulrich Siegmund and his party, the alternative for Germany, have won 43% of the vote in what should have been a quiet election in the small state of Saxony and Halt. A very clear sign, of course, of Berlin. Speaking to public broadcaster ARD, Siegmund said, the result sends a very clear signal to Berlin, adding, this is the end of the line. People do not want to go on like this. Siegmund is now hoping to become the country's first far-right state governor since the Nazis were in power.

1:00While the AFD, which ran on an anti-immigration ticket, is three seats shy of the majority needed to govern its resounding success, has turned heads far beyond Berlin. President Donald Trump posted the results on truth social, which the Kremlin then reposted, calling it an historic win, but not all reactions were positive. Of course, the AFC's financial and financial support was unfortunately planned. Speaking to ETH, France's finance minister, Paul Landliske, said the AFD's success sends a very, very worrying signal, the Prime Minister of Germany's other immediate neighbour, Poland's Donald Tusk, wrote on X that, in Poland, only idiots or traders can rejoice in the triumph of the AFC in Germany. But in Berlin, a visibly deflated Friedrich Mertz conceded his centre-right Christian Democrat party's most severe election defeat in years or decades. It's part of democracy's party's majority's shift, Mertz admitted reluctantly,

2:02but the values of our constitution are not up for debate. He warned, adding that in our democracy, power is granted, not seized, and minorities are not the enemy of the majority. Mertz's comments come amid fears about the far-right AFD's plans for Saxony and Hart, Zeegmund, a former salesman, has a knack for packaging his party's policies in positive slogans. But the AFD's regional platform is the party's most radical, and it's considered anti-constitutional. Because of its remigration policy, which promises mass deportations and calls to segregate refugees and disabled children in schools. Marcus Zena, visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund, says this is what makes accepting the will of the electorate so tricky. Do we want to bring a party into power that is outright anti-constitutional? Do we have the obligation to prevent a party like this to gain power in our country? He adds that this is where the AFD's understanding of democracy diverges. Speaking to public broadcaster, said day F, AFD federal leader and possible future

3:06chancellor candidate Ali Spidler accused the other parties of being undemocratic for refusing to work with her party. We are Democrats. We talk to everyone. We do not erect firewalls. Vidal then declared that the CDU would never win another election. But Zeegmund is still short of three seats and is vying for the support of anyone willing to, quote, step out of their comfort zone to make him governor. Anyone who does will be keenly aware of the historical steps they're taking. For MPI News, I'm Ms. Minicolson in Berlin.