German State Elections Test Merz as AfD Eyes Further Gains
Two German state elections are seen as a key test for Chancellor Friedrich Merz after the far-right AfD's strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt.
Polling stations opened on Sunday in two German state elections that will gauge the political durability of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) expected to build on recent gains.
The ballots are being held in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a largely rural state in the formerly communist and less prosperous east, and in Berlin.
The vote follows the AfD's near-majority finish two weeks ago in the small eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, a result that has put the party within reach of forming Germany's first far-right regional government since World War II.
That outcome also severely damaged Merz's authority. His center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered a stinging defeat on Sept. 6, shocking many Germans who had believed the country had developed an immunity to nationalism after confronting its Nazi past through education and laws against persecution.
The AfD is expected to make significant gains in Sunday's elections as well, though it has no realistic path to power in Berlin and faces a stronger challenge in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania from the state's center-left governor than it did from Merz's party in Saxony-Anhalt.
Prospects for the CDU are bleaker. It could lose the mayor's office in Berlin. In a worst-case scenario, it could fail for the first time to win seats in a state legislature anywhere by falling below the 5% threshold in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where it was already weak.
Merz, 70, became Germany's leader 16 months ago with promises to revive an economy that has barely grown in years, but he has failed to lift a sullen national mood and has himself become deeply unpopular. The AfD's strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt has further weakened his standing nationally, and in the past two weeks there have been calls even from within his own party to replace him as chancellor. No top-level allies have publicly called for his departure, and many have warned against "personnel debates."
Apparently anticipating a tough postelection period, Merz abandoned a planned trip to New York next week to attend the U.N. General Assembly. Despite the strong headwinds, he has repeatedly said he is determined to stay on and finish his term as chancellor.