Germany’s AfD Wins Another State Election, Adding Pressure on Chancellor Merz, Exit Polls Show
Exit polls showed the AfD winning Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and gaining in Berlin as the CDU posted its worst state-election result since World War II.
- On Sunday, the far-right AfD was projected to win the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state election with 37.0% of the vote, narrowly outpacing the governing Social Democrats at 35.5% while Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU slumped to 5.5%.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took office 16 months ago, faces mounting pressure as the AfD gains strength, building on their strong performance in the Saxony-Anhalt election two weeks ago that weakened his national standing.
- In Berlin's separate election held Sunday, the far-left Die Linke led with 24.5% of the vote, while Merz's conservatives followed at 20% and the AfD continued its trend of rising support, reaching 16%.
- Despite the AfD's projected victory in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the party is unlikely to govern as other main parties have ruled out forming a coalition with the far-right group.
- Anticipating a difficult period, Merz canceled a planned trip to New York next week for the UN General Assembly, as allies warned against public 'personnel debates' regarding his leadership following the election results.
557 Articles
557 Articles
Germany under Chancellor Friedrich Merz amid State Elections
The Rise of the AfD and the Political Fragmentation Reflected in the Vote The election in Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September marked the first sign of a major political shift. According to the official preliminary results, the AfD won 43.8% of the party-list vote, an increase of 23 percentage points compared with 2021, while the CDU […]
Friedrich Merz's resignation seemed imminent, but he is still there – primarily because potential successors seem to realize that being Chancellor in 2026 is a thankless task. "You can explain things better, but whoever reforms is unpopular."
FO Talks: Will Historic AfD Victory Now Sink German Chancellor Friedrich Merz?
Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh and Sebastian Schäffer, Director of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, discuss the Alternative for Germany’s (or Alternative for Deutschland, abbreviated AfD) historic electoral victory in Saxony-Anhalt. They examine the economic stagnation, political disillusionment and enduring East–West divide fueling the far right’s rise. They also assess German Chancellor Friedrich… Continue reading FO Talks: …
Merz clings on as Germany’s political center crumbles
Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. German state polls yield historic defeat, familiar paralysisDiego Faßnacht reports that the CDU’s historic losses in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin have deepened Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s political crisis without producing a clear alternative. Germany remains trapped […] The post Merz clings on as Germany’s political center c…
The ultra-right organization, supported by Trump, JD Vance and Musk, won the elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and advanced in Berlin. Why is it happening? What does it raise and what are its main positions?
Think tanks urge German Chancellor to stick with reforms after election defeats
German economic think tanks urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition on Thursday to stay the course on policy reforms after heavy losses in regional elections fuelled speculation the measures could be watered down.
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