German leader Friedrich Merz vows to push reforms after historic election loss

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has promised to press ahead with his reform plans despite suffering a historic defeat in state elections. Merz openly described the election results as a disaster for his party. The voting outcome also saw a strong surge in support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which took the lead in the polls. This defeat marks the worst performance in a state election for the Christian Democratic Union in postwar German history. Despite the heavy losses and calls to rethink strategy, Merz has made it clear that he will stay in office and continue his political agenda.