Merz Calls State Election Defeat a Heavy Blow, Rules Out Leadership Challenge

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has described his party's defeat in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election as a "heavy blow," while firmly dismissing any suggestion of a challenge to his leadership.

Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader acknowledged that his party had not offered voters satisfactory answers to their concerns. He rejected talk of an internal rebellion, stating that there had been no personnel debate about his position.

The scale of the setback was stark. In Sunday's vote, the CDU managed only 4.9 percent, failing to win seats in the state parliament for the first time. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) finished first with 38.2 percent, ahead of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) at 35.5 percent.

Merz said the centre-left SPD intended to remain in the federal governing coalition and that his own party fully backed the arrangement. The two partners would discuss how to take their cooperation forward, he added, and he planned talks with federal state leaders in the near future.

The Bundestag has 630 seats. After the 2025 federal election, the CDU/CSU alliance won 208 seats and formed a coalition government with the SPD, which holds 120 seats and is the third-largest party in parliament, making Merz chancellor.

Since all major German parties currently rule out governing with the AfD, the party — with 150 seats and the second-largest presence in parliament — serves as the largest opposition force in the Bundestag.