German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is refusing to step aside despite a bruising night at the polls, after exit surveys from two regional elections signalled damaging defeats for his centre‑right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The results have intensified pressure on Merz, whose approval ratings have been sliding amid speculation of a possible mid‑term “chancellor swap”.
In Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, the CDU initially appeared to scrape through with its worst result in the state’s history but within hours, the party fell below the 5% threshold, losing its place in parliament entirely. Merz described the outcome bluntly as “a disaster” for his party.
The far‑right AfD is projected to win the most votes in the state, though it is unlikely to govern as all other parties have ruled out cooperation. In Berlin, the ruling CDU was expected to be overtaken by Die Linke (The Left), adding to the sense of crisis within Merz’s camp.
The votes came just two weeks after the CDU suffered another heavy blow, with its support halved in Saxony‑Anhalt as the AfD surged to a major victory. Speaking at CDU headquarters in Berlin, Merz echoed his earlier remarks, insisting he would push ahead with his coalition’s plans for economic, tax and welfare reforms, despite mounting criticism from within his own ranks.
With internal dissent rising and the political landscape shifting sharply to the right in parts of Germany, Merz’s determination to stay on sets the stage for a turbulent period in German politics.
+ There are no comments
Add yours