Merz Vows to Press On After CDU's Historic State Election Defeat

Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing mounting pressure after his conservative party recorded its worst regional election result in postwar Germany, losing its place in a state parliament for the first time and watching the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) take first place in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Merz described Sunday's outcome in the northeastern state as a "disaster." His Christian Democratic Union fell below the 5% threshold needed to enter the state legislature. The AfD finished ahead of all rivals, though well short of a majority — its second state election win in a month, a result the party views as building momentum toward national power.

The CDU also lost ground in a simultaneous election in Berlin, where the far-left Die Linke, descended from the Communist party that once governed East Germany, won the most seats and could enter government in a coalition.

Sunday's results may not immediately unseat Merz, but his low approval ratings, an unpopular reform agenda and the AfD's rise have left his position uncertain. Several conservative state premiers met on Sunday after publicly backing Merz in an open letter days earlier. One participant said the gathering was not about a revolt, but that there was agreement the chancellor "needs to deliver more" after the CDU's difficult results.

Within minutes of the results, Merz vowed on television to press ahead with reforms he says are essential to revive sluggish growth in Europe's largest economy and keep it globally competitive. But coalition partners in the centre-left Social Democrats pushed back. Manuela Schwesig, the popular incumbent premier of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, said she was "very irritated" by Merz's remarks and that "more humility" was called for from the chancellor. She has sharply criticised the federal government's pension reforms.

The AfD leads national opinion polls but has been kept out of power by other parties' refusal to work with it — a "firewall" that has come under increasing scrutiny as the party gains strength. Its hardline stance on immigration has left some Germans of migrant background questioning their future. "The fact that the AfD is in the lead is quite a bitter pill to swallow," said Yasmin Goudarzi, an educational scientist, at an election event hosted by a migrant organisation in Schwerin.

In Berlin, Die Linke topped the polls for the first time, campaigning to nationalise housing from corporate landlords and cap rents. "From today, we're changing Berlin together," said lead candidate Elif Eralp, the 45-year-old daughter of left-wing Turkish parents who fled a coup in Turkey in 1980.

Elected last year on a promise to return Germany's stagnant economy to growth, Merz has struggled to win over voters, with a series of communication missteps compounding resentment over pension, tax and healthcare reforms. Disillusionment with his government hung over both campaigns, where voters focused on soaring energy and housing costs. Schwesig is likely to remain in power in her state.

"Yes, I would have imagined a different outcome as well because, let's say, the troublemakers who voted for the AfD clearly weren't paying attention in history class," said Detlef Spelker, a passerby in Schwerin. "We've been in a similar situation before, almost 100 years ago. Inflation, problems with jobs, nobody had any money. We'll see what this brings now."