German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed relief over the loss of the “Alternative for Germany” (AfD) party in all runoff rounds of the mayoral elections in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia this past Sunday.

North Rhine-Westphalia, located in western Germany, is the most populous German state.

During an event organized by the German newspaper “Rheinische Post” on Monday evening, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader said: “The AfD’s trees do not grow to the sky” (meaning the party’s rise is not limitless), noting that the party’s successes in the municipal elections held on September 14 also showed that the AfD is not just an eastern phenomenon but a nationwide one.

Merz emphasized that good government work is the best way to counter the increasing rise of the AfD.

It is worth noting that the Christian Democratic branch in North Rhine-Westphalia reported that Merz’s party won more than 6,800 seats in city and district councils in the municipal elections in the state, while the Social Democratic Party (SPD) secured about 4,000 seats. The Green Party obtained more than 2,000 seats according to CDU calculations, whereas the AfD won approximately 1,900 seats but did not participate in all areas of the state.