{"id":"c47cbbf1-4767-4020-b160-153f7972aa17","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/07/german-chancellor-friedrich-merz-cdu-afd-saxony-anhalt","domain":"theguardian.com","outlet":{"name":"The Guardian","country":"GB","cred":4,"lean":-1,"curated":true,"owner":"Guardian Media Group"},"title":"German chancellor vows to stay in office despite AfD triumph in state election","plainHeadline":"AfD wins in Saxony-Anhalt; Merz says he will remain chancellor","rewrite":{"model":null,"at":null},"summary":["AfD won nearly 44% in Saxony-Anhalt, endangering CDU's dominance.","Merz called the defeat the worst in years and pledged to continue.","Siegmund led AfD; campaign targeted eastern voters feeling overlooked.","CDU may adjust policy stance with Social Democrats to protect finances.","Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin votes loom later this month amid alleged Russian interference."],"topics":["Politics"],"lang":"eng","publishedAt":"2026-09-07T17:48:37.000Z","ingestedAt":"2026-09-07T18:06:05.861Z","story":"https://brief.concise.news/story/68569283-7118-4b3d-a67d-ff50cd6bb1cf","storyId":"68569283-7118-4b3d-a67d-ff50cd6bb1cf","image":"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/1fcd2115a5ad282859f294cc943341055dff9b93/0_0_6327_5063/master/6327.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d77b07c309c6abe5ae41b3791667cda1","author":"Deborah Cole in Berlin","dek":"Friedrich Merz said his conservative CDU was shaken ‘to its very foundations’ after far-right victory in Saxony-Anhalt"}