BERLIN, September 7. /TASS/. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the Christian Democratic Union's defeat in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament elections the heaviest electoral loss the party has suffered in recent decades.

"We are all deeply shocked. We did not expect this in this form," Merz said at a press conference. He emphasized that the results will have consequences not only for the region but for Germany as a whole, and will also affect the international situation.

Merz acknowledged that reforms were the central theme of the campaign and said the country needs fundamental reforms. He insisted his resolve to continue the course of reforms "remains unwavering" but acknowledged the need to communicate them better emotionally. "It is nothing less than the future of our country and the opportunities of our children and grandchildren," he stated.