German chancellor calls for regional elections not to be "testing ground for angry citizens"

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz today called for the regional elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in eastern Germany, not to be used as a political testing ground. Merz made this appeal just days before the state elections scheduled for Sunday. The Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right party, appears as the favorite in the polls for these electoral events. The chancellor expressed concern about the possibility of voters using these elections as a way to demonstrate their discontent with the federal government. Saxony-Anhalt is one of the eastern German states where the AfD has been registering high levels of support among the population.