German state elections deliver sharp blow to Chancellor Merz's CDU and boost far-right AfD
State elections held on 20 September in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin have inflicted significant losses on Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union, with the party dropping below the 5% threshold in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The far-right Alternative for Germany achieved its best result in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, though it is unlikely to join any government as other parties refuse to cooperate with it. In Berlin, the ruling CDU was also outperformed by Die Linke.
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German voters participated in state elections on 20 September in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, located in the north-east, and in Berlin. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU party experienced substantial electoral losses in both locations. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the CDU fell below the 5% threshold required to remain in the state parliament, marking the party's worst-ever performance there. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was projected to win the most votes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, though it is unlikely to enter government as other parties have refused to work with it. In Berlin, the governing CDU was also expected to be defeated by Die Linke (The Left).
These results represent another setback for Merz, following a separate defeat two weeks earlier in Saxony-Anhalt, where the CDU's vote share was halved while the AfD achieved a major victory. Merz, who is facing poor approval ratings, described the outcome as "a disaster" for his party. Speaking to reporters at CDU headquarters in Berlin, he nevertheless indicated his intention to continue implementing his coalition's economic, tax and welfare reforms, stating that "the reforms have to come".
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