Merz Under Pressure After Far-Right Party Emerges Victorious in State Election

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s party on Monday ruled out working with Alternative for Germany after the far-right party emerged victorious in ​state elections in Saxony-Anhalt but fell short of earning an absolute majority.The AfD won 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt’s state election on Sunday, according to exit polls. Merz’s center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) came in second with 17.2% of the vote.. “This is the hardest defeat that the CDU has had for decades. Of course, this is going to have consequences,” Merz told reporters during a press conference in Berlin.The Chancellor tried to ease concerns over the stability of democratic institutions in Germany, as the AfD’s victory puts them a step closer to governing at the regional level, something no far-right party in the country has achieved since World War II.“I can reassure you: our institutions are stable, and our basic law protects this order, and the federal government, led by me, will make sure that the basic law is going to be enforced,” Merz continued. “This message also goes out to our friends in Europe, as we know that Germany has a special responsibility because of its history.”“This election has further weaken...