Merkel condemns AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt and warns against emotion over facts as Germany faces poor PISA results

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel said the outcome of Sunday’s Saxony-Anhalt state election was "simply shocking" and described it as a significant setback for modern German history. She noted that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) performed better than expected while the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) fell further than anticipated. Merkel urged politicians to focus on factual communication, warning that allowing feelings to outweigh facts could lead to societal regression.

The election results have prompted protests, with thousands gathering in Cologne to denounce right-wing extremism and call for stronger democratic safeguards.

Separately, Germany’s performance in the OECD’s 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) was the poorest in the country’s history, prompting criticism from education officials. Education Minister Karin Prien called the widening social divide in student outcomes "not acceptable" and called for targeted early-year support and other reforms. The Social Democratic Party demanded an emergency meeting of federal, state and municipal authorities, while the Greens and the Left highlighted inequities in educational opportunities.

Experts cited shortcomings in early childhood education, teacher staffing and digitalisation as contributing factors, and noted concerns about the impact of social-media use on student performance.