BERLIN, Germany, Sep 21 – Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing renewed pressure to steady his government and defend his political agenda after his Christian Democratic Union suffered major setbacks in two state elections, including a historic defeat that pushed the party out of a state legislature for the first time in modern German history.
The results from Sunday’s elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania delivered a mixed picture across Germany’s political spectrum. The far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, emerged as the strongest party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while the left-wing Left Party finished first in Berlin. Merz’s CDU, meanwhile, lost ground in both states.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the CDU received about 4.9% of the vote, falling below the 5% threshold required to win seats in the state parliament. The result represented the party’s worst showing in a German state election since the country’s postwar federal republic was established.
Merz described the outcome in the northeastern state as a “disaster” but said he intended to remain in office and continue pursuing the reforms his government has promised for Germany’s economy and public institutions.
The chancellor spoke at CDU headquarters in Berlin after the results became clear, arguing that Germany needed political stability and structural changes rather than a change of leadership. He has faced growing questions about his authority after the CDU also suffered a major defeat to the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt earlier this month.
The latest results therefore represent another difficult moment for a chancellor who took office in 2025 promising to strengthen Europe’s largest economy and restore confidence in the country’s political leadership.
CDU suffers historic setback as AfD strengthens position
The most damaging result for Merz came in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where the CDU was squeezed between two larger forces competing for voters.
The AfD won about 38% of the vote, placing it first, while the center-left Social Democratic Party, or SPD, followed with roughly 35%. The CDU finished far behind both parties and failed to cross the parliamentary threshold.
The result was particularly significant because Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has traditionally been governed by the SPD, whose state premier, Manuela Schwesig, made the campaign heavily focused on preventing an AfD victory.
Schwesig presented herself as a barrier against the far-right party and made the contest largely a direct confrontation between the SPD and AfD. That strategy appears to have helped the Social Democrats consolidate support among voters who wanted to prevent the AfD from taking control of the state government, while leaving the CDU struggling to establish a distinct position.
The AfD’s victory does not automatically mean it will govern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Other major parties have ruled out cooperation with the party, meaning Schwesig’s SPD could remain in power through a coalition with other left-leaning parties.
The outcome nevertheless adds to concerns within the CDU about its ability to compete with the AfD, particularly in eastern Germany, where the far-right party has built a strong electoral base.
The CDU’s defeat also comes only two weeks after the AfD delivered another major blow to Merz’s party in Saxony-Anhalt. That result intensified speculation over whether the chancellor could maintain control of his party and government.
Merz’s position was further complicated by the Berlin result.
The CDU came second in the capital with roughly 19% of the vote, behind the Left Party, which received about 25%. The AfD also made gains in Berlin, taking more than 16%, while the SPD performed poorly.
The Left Party’s result places it in a strong position during negotiations over the next Berlin government. However, finishing first does not by itself guarantee control of the city government, because coalition talks will determine which parties can assemble a parliamentary majority.
For the CDU, the result was another setback in a city where the party’s previous state election victory was already unusual. Its loss of first place means Merz’s party now faces pressure from both the political left and right, depending on the region.
The election results also highlight different political dynamics across Germany. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the central contest was between the SPD and AfD, while Berlin voters gave the strongest support to the Left Party. The CDU failed to dominate either race.
Merz presses ahead with reforms despite growing pressure
Despite the election defeats, Merz has signaled that he does not intend to abandon his government’s reform program.
His coalition has been working on measures aimed at improving Germany’s sluggish economy, reducing bureaucracy and changing parts of the country’s social welfare system. Among the most politically sensitive proposals is an overhaul of the pension system, alongside tax relief for lower- and middle-income households.
The government has argued that such measures are necessary to address Germany’s economic difficulties and strengthen the country’s competitiveness.
But the reforms have also created tensions within Merz’s governing coalition. The SPD, which shares national power with the CDU, has supported the need for economic changes while raising concerns about how those changes should affect households and social protections.
Matthias Miersch, who leads the SPD parliamentary group, said on ARD television that reforms were clearly necessary, but added that politicians also had to take voters’ concerns seriously.
Those concerns have become increasingly important for Merz after several difficult elections. The chancellor’s challenge is not simply to pass legislation in Berlin, but also to convince voters that his government’s policies are improving everyday economic conditions.
The pressure is particularly visible among CDU officials. The party’s eight state governors backed Merz last week, providing him with an important show of internal support. Yet the latest election results are likely to renew debate inside the CDU over whether the government’s strategy is producing the political results the party expected.
Karin Prien, Germany’s education minister and a deputy CDU leader, said on Phoenix television that changing the party’s leadership would not necessarily produce a different outcome. Instead, she argued that the CDU needed to discuss how it could regain acceptance and credibility among voters.
That debate could become increasingly important as the party looks toward 2027. There are no further state elections scheduled for the remainder of this year, giving Merz and the CDU some time to respond to the latest setbacks.
Five state elections are scheduled for next year, including contests in April. One of the most closely watched will be in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state. Its current leader, Hendrik Wüst of the CDU, has previously been discussed as a possible future successor to Merz.
None of next year’s state elections will take place in eastern Germany, where the AfD currently has some of its strongest support.
For now, Merz is attempting to turn attention away from leadership questions and back toward his government’s policy program. He has argued that Germany is facing major economic and social changes and that abandoning reforms would not address the problems exposed by the elections.
The latest results, however, have made his task more difficult. The CDU has lost ground in two very different political environments, while the AfD continues to expand its support in eastern Germany and the Left Party has strengthened its position in Berlin.
Whether Merz can translate his pledge to continue governing into renewed support for his party will depend on the government’s ability to deliver reforms, manage coalition disagreements and respond to voter concerns before the next series of state elections.