Future of German chancellor hangs in the balance as two states go to polls
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces significant political uncertainty as voters in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania head to the polls. The far-right AfD party is seeking to capitalize on recent momentum to gain further ground, potentially threatening Merz's leadership and the stability of his coalition. Merz has vowed to remain in office to implement economic reforms despite plummeting approval ratings and criticism over broken campaign promises.
- ▪Voters in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are casting ballots in regional elections that could impact Chancellor Friedrich Merz's political future.
- ▪The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party recently achieved its highest-ever regional result in Saxony-Anhalt and is expected to draw support from the CDU.
- ▪Merz's personal approval rating has dropped to 10%, and he cancelled a UN General Assembly appearance to monitor the election results in Berlin.
- ▪In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the CDU risks falling below the 5% threshold for parliamentary representation for the first time in 75 years.
- ▪The incumbent CDU candidate in Berlin, Stefan Evers, has struggled to improve polling scores following the withdrawal of former mayor Kai Wegner.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — World |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/20/german-chancellor-friedrich-merz-state-elections-berlin-far-right |
| Publication time | Sun, 20 Sep 2026 02:00:02 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-20T02:13:46.483Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-20T02:13:46.483Z |
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Friedrich Merz speaks on Thursday during the final CDU election rally prior to elections in Berlin. Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPAView image in fullscreenFriedrich Merz speaks on Thursday during the final CDU election rally prior to elections in Berlin. Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPAGermanyFuture of German chancellor hangs in the balance as two states go to pollsEmbattled Friedrich Merz faces nervous wait while far-right Alternative für Deutschland party targets further gainsDeborah Cole in BerlinSat 19 Sep 2026 22.00 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleVoters in two German states are going to the polls with the political future of the embattled chancellor, Friedrich Merz, hanging in the balance and an emboldened far right targeting further gains.Coming two weeks after a seismic election…
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