In his first Bundestag speech following the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, federal chancellor Friedrich Merz sharply criticized the AfD. Using a significant portion of his time during the general debate on the 2027 budget, Merz commented on the AfD, acknowledging that while the party achieved “a remarkable election result” in Saxony-Anhalt, it failed to reach its “actual goal.” He noted that 56 percent of voters did not choose the AfD, meaning they did not secure an absolute majority of parliamentary seats.
AfD leader Alice Weidel accused Merz of asking her top candidate in Saxony-Anhalt to find a majority only a few hours after polls closed, calling it the “first electoral fraud.” Merz responded to this, stating that the request to Ulrich Siegmund to seek a majority, despite having pledged a specific electoral promise, was made even though he only aimed to govern with an absolute majority of mandates. Merz firmly asserted that the AfD would “never in Germany” secure a majority with its policies, declaring, “You are and you remain, Ms. Weidel, a destructive force.”
This general address concerning the chancellor’s office is typically the highlight of the budget week, traditionally serving as a point of confrontation between the government and the opposition, encompassing not just the federal budget but the entirety of national politics.
When the AfD began the debate as the largest opposition faction, Merz spoke immediately afterward. Weidel had used her speech to launch an attack on Merz and the entire black-and-red government, declaring, “Black-Red is over.” She contended that the Saxony-Anhalt election demonstrated a public desire for “a change in politics.” Weidel further denounced the budget draft as “clearly unconstitutional.” She warned that the state finances are already so strained that by the end of the legislative period, “all tax revenues will go solely towards interest and social benefits,” adding, “They are thus destroying all political creative scope and leaving scorched earth.” She concluded by stating that the government is driving Germany “into national bankruptcy at a record pace.”
