Germany’s AfD Wins Another State Election, Adding Pressure on Chancellor Merz, Exit Polls Show
Exit polls showed the AfD ahead with 37% as Merz’s CDU fell to 5.5%, deepening pressure on the chancellor’s leadership.
- 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.
413 Articles
413 Articles
Germany's Merz under pressure after bruising state election losses
BERLIN— German Chancellor Friedrich Merz starts the week more damaged than ever after his centre-right CDU party suffered two bruising regional election defeats at the hands of far-right and far-left parties. Just 16 months in office, Merz has seen his approval ratings plummet while his party has suffered a string of regional election losses against the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which also leads nationwide polls. Figh…
Merz decries 'disaster' as far-right AfD party set for big win in regional German elections
The far-right, Kremlin-friendly Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was projected to take first place in regional elections in Germany on Sept. 20, delivering a stinging defeat for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right party.
Germany's far-right AfD leads state election
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took first place in state elections in northeastern Germany on Sunday, voting projections showed, delivering the worst result for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's mainstream conservative party since 1949. "It's a disaster," Merz said after exit polls were published, although he signalled he would fight on as chancellor and continue his reform agenda after speculation that a bad result could prompt him to re…
Germany’s far-right AfD wins another state election, piling pressure on Chancellor Merz
BERLIN - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party is facing a dire set of results in state elections, exit polls show, and is set to be squeezed both by the surging far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and parties on the left.
The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, suffered a historic defeat in the regional elections, failing to surpass the 5% vote share barrier. Conversely, the far-right Alternatives for Germany (AfD) is causing a series of upsets in the former East German regions, fundamentally shaking up the German political landscape. With Chancellor Merz's leadership suffering a fatal blow, the federal governme…
Amid Left Party solidarity with pro-Palestinian opponents, council president urges SPD and Greens not to enter a coalition with election winner
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