AfD Wins Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as Merz Calls Result a 'Disaster'
AfD won 37% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, exit polls show, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives fell to 5.5% in their worst state result since 1949.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) finished first in state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday, according to exit polls, delivering what Chancellor Friedrich Merz described as a "disaster" for his conservatives.
Exit polls for ARD public television put the AfD on 37% in the northeastern state, ahead of the centre-left Social Democrats on 35.5%. Merz's conservatives were on 5.5%, barely clearing the threshold needed to enter the state parliament. If confirmed, it would be the party's weakest result in any state election since 1949.
The AfD is nonetheless unlikely to govern, as the other main parties refuse to enter coalition agreements with it.
"It's a disaster," Merz said in televised remarks after the polls were published, while signalling he would remain in office and press on with his reform agenda. Speculation had swirled that a poor showing could prompt him to step down.
In a separate election held the same day in Berlin, the far-left Linke party was on 24.5%, with Merz's conservatives on 20% and the AfD also gaining ground at 16%.
Sunday's results may not prove a knockout blow for the chancellor, who received backing from eight conservative state premiers last week. But low approval ratings, unpopular reforms and the AfD's strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt have left his position uncertain. Merz has called a party meeting for Sunday to discuss the way forward.
The two votes follow the September 6 election in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD came close to winning an absolute majority — a rare feat that it views as a first step towards federal elections due in 2029. The party's rise has unsettled European capitals.
Over little more than a decade, the AfD has grown from a fringe eurosceptic movement into the country's most popular party, on a platform that includes deporting foreigners without the right to remain, restoring energy ties with Russia and leaving the euro. Its recent gains have raised fresh questions about the "firewall" strategy under which mainstream parties refuse to work with it.
Elected last year on a promise to revive Germany's stagnant economy, Merz has struggled to win over voters, with resentment over pension, tax and healthcare reforms compounded by a series of communication missteps. Senior figures in his Christian Democratic Union have so far rallied behind him, aware that any successor would face the same economic difficulties.
Discontent with the government hung over both campaigns, with voters focused on issues including soaring energy and housing costs. Merz presented a consumer relief package on Friday that included tax cuts on gas and diesel.
In Schwerin, the state capital, residents cited living costs as a central concern. "Here in Schwerin, with these wages, you can hardly afford anything anymore," voter Carlotta Heick said. One elderly man criticised spending on foreign aid, saying, "We need our money here, for our country, for children and pensioners."