Friedrich Merz vows to stay in office after CDU ‘disaster’ in German state elections
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to remain in office despite his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffering its worst-ever state election results in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. The far-right AfD party secured a significant victory in the coastal region, while the left-wing Die Linke party is on track to win in the capital. Merz attributed the losses to waning trust in institutions and pledged to continue economic reforms to counter the rise of authoritarianism.
- ▪The CDU recorded its lowest state score in history in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, barely clearing the 5% threshold for parliament entry.
- ▪The far-right AfD party won nearly 38% of the vote in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, more than doubling its previous result.
- ▪In Berlin, the left-wing Die Linke party is leading with approximately 25% of the vote, ahead of the incumbent CDU by five points.
- ▪Chancellor Merz stated that he will continue his push for reforms in taxes, healthcare, and pensions despite the political setbacks.
- ▪The AfD's co-chair Tino Chrupalla called for Merz to resign, citing the election results as a clear mandate for change.
2 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 2 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: centre. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.
- ▪ German Chancellor Merz vows to stay on despite 'disaster' state election exit polls — BBC News — World
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| Publication time | Sun, 20 Sep 2026 18:33:02 GMT |
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‘Trust in our country’s institutions is waning and is being actively undermined by radical parties on both the left and the right,’ Merz said after the results. Photograph: Hannibal Hanschke/EPAView image in fullscreen‘Trust in our country’s institutions is waning and is being actively undermined by radical parties on both the left and the right,’ Merz said after the results. Photograph: Hannibal Hanschke/EPAGermanyFriedrich Merz vows to stay in office after CDU ‘disaster’ in German state electionsFar-right AfD wins in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and leftwing Die Linke on course for victory in BerlinDeborah Cole in BerlinSun 20 Sep 2026 14.33 EDTLast modified on Sun 20 Sep 2026 14.43 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleGermany’s embattled chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has vowed to stay…
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