GERMANY - Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, said he was “profoundly shocked” by the resounding victory of the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt. The Christian democrat leader said the result was the worst defeat his party had suffered “in decades” and that the country needed “fundamental reform”. “I promise the people in our country: our institutions are defensible and stable… We know that Germany because of its history bears a special responsibility,” he said. “We will always hold up our constitutional order and our secure place in the heart of Europe.” The AfD earlier labelled Merz a “major burden” for Germany, as the party looked for a way to form a government after its historic win.