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It is the strongest state-election performance in the AfD's history and has transformed a regional contest into a national political crisis.
The result is particularly damaging for Merz because Saxony-Anhalt had been governed by the CDU for more than two decades. Analysis of the vote indicates widespread dissatisfaction with the federal government, economic conditions, energy prices and proposed pension reforms.
According to post-election analysis, 87 percent of surveyed voters expressed dissatisfaction with the federal government's performance. The AfD also succeeded in attracting tens of thousands of former CDU voters and previously inactive voters.
The immediate question is whether Germany's longstanding political "firewall” against cooperation with the AfD can survive.
Mainstream German parties have traditionally refused to form governments with the party. But the scale of Sunday's result is increasing pressure inside the CDU, particularly in eastern Germany, for that strategy to be reconsidered.
Merz has so far refused to retreat. Instead, he has pledged to continue with controversial economic and pension reforms despite the electoral setback.
The implications extend beyond Germany.
Europe's largest economy has for decades been one of the principal anchors of the European Union's centrist political order. A sustained AfD breakthrough could influence German policies on migration, Ukraine, Russia and European integration.
The next major test comes on September 20, when Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania holds its state election.
Germany's political establishment is therefore confronting a question that would have seemed extraordinary only a few years ago: not whether the AfD can win elections, but whether it is approaching the point where Germany's other parties can no longer prevent it from governing.
Waagacusub.net — European Affairs
By Dahir Alasow
The European Union is dramatically expanding its economic and strategic engagement with Greenland, committing another €200 million as the Arctic island becomes an increasingly important arena of competition over security, critical minerals, infrastructure and geopolitical influence. Full Article
MOGADISHU — Concerns are growing among Somali intellectuals, civil society organizations, retired military officers, and democracy advocates that Somalia is entering a dangerous period of political instability marked by increasing militarization and shrinking space for democratic participation. The concerns come amid escalating confrontations in Mogadishu and reports of civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction resulting from recent clashes between government forces and opposition-aligned groups. Full Article
Somalia is facing a deepening humanitarian and political crisis following widespread forced evictions, deadly security operations, and escalating tensions between the federal government and opposition groups. Full Article
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A major wave of dismissals and demotions within the Somali National Army has raised serious concerns among military insiders and political observers. Over the past months, a group of senior and mid-level officers — most of whom previously resisted the political pressure during the Farmaajo era — have been systematically removed from command positions, sidelined, or forced into early retirement. Full Article
Somalia is heading toward one of its most consequential political tests as the 2026 mandate cycle draws closer, with rising disputes over who has the constitutional authority to run elections — the Federal Government in Mogadishu or the Federal Member States (FMS). Hidden beneath technical legal debates are deep power struggles that may determine the future of Somalia's federal system. The decisions taken in the next months will shape not only how elections are run, but who controls political legitimacy and state power in the coming decade. Full Article
By Dahir Abdulle Alasow – Investigative Sports Journalist Amsterdam – 18 November 2025 =The Dutch national football team is celebrating a historic achievement after officially qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a dominant 4–0 victory over Lithuania in Amsterdam on Monday night. Full Article
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The European Union is dramatically expanding its economic and strategic engagement with Greenland, committing another €200 million as the Arctic island becomes an increasingly important arena of competition over security, critical minerals, infrastructure and geopolitical influence.
MOGADISHU / MINNEAPOLIS — Somali rapper Sharmarke Abdinasir Mohamed, widely known as Sharma Boy, is facing renewed scrutiny following allegations that he used threats, blackmail and sustained pressure to obtain thousands of dollars from a Somali-American woman in the United States.
MOGADISHU — Concerns are growing among Somali intellectuals, civil society organizations, retired military officers, and democracy advocates that Somalia is entering a dangerous period of political instability marked by increasing militarization and shrinking space for democratic participation. The concerns come amid escalating confrontations in Mogadishu and reports of civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction resulting from recent clashes between government forces and opposition-aligned groups.
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Somalia is facing a deepening humanitarian and political crisis following widespread forced evictions, deadly security operations, and escalating tensions between the federal government and opposition groups.
The European Union is dramatically expanding its economic and strategic engagement with Greenland, committing another €200 million as the Arctic island becomes an increasingly important arena of competition over security, critical minerals, infrastructure and geopolitical influence. Full Article
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MOGADISHU / MINNEAPOLIS — Somali rapper Sharmarke Abdinasir Mohamed, widely known as Sharma Boy, is facing renewed scrutiny following allegations that he used threats, blackmail and sustained pressure to obtain thousands of dollars from a Somali-American woman in the United States. Full Article
MOGADISHU — Concerns are growing among Somali intellectuals, civil society organizations, retired military officers, and democracy advocates that Somalia is entering a dangerous period of political instability marked by increasing militarization and shrinking space for democratic participation. The concerns come amid escalating confrontations in Mogadishu and reports of civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction resulting from recent clashes between government forces and opposition-aligned groups. Full Article
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Historic AfD Victory Rocks Germany and Deepens Merz's Political Crisis
BERLIN — September 8, 2026 — Germany has entered a new period of political uncertainty after the far-right Alternative for Germany, AfD, scored a historic landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt, dealing a severe blow to Chancellor Friedrich M