A former spokesman for the German federal government says it will be “very hard” for Chancellor Friedrich Merz to regain control after the Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieves a landslide victory in regional elections. Béla Anda, who served as chief spokesman during Gerhard Schröder’s government, characterizes Merz’s performance on communication as “very poorly.”
The outlets frame Anda’s remarks as an assessment of Merz’s ability to respond politically following the election result. In this account, the focus is on messaging and the challenges of rebuilding influence once a rival party has surged. The reporting does not provide additional figures on the vote share, which regions were affected, or details on specific statements or policy positions linked to the communication critique.
Overall, the piece presents Anda’s perspective on the post-election situation rather than new independent evidence, and it emphasizes the difficulty Merz may face in regaining footing after the AfD’s strong regional showing.
