German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces mounting political pressure following historic losses for his center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in two state elections on Sunday. Despite what he conceded was a "disaster" for his party, the 70-year-old leader declared he has no intention of stepping down and pledged to press forward with a controversial package of economic, tax, and welfare reforms.
In the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, exit polls indicated the CDU dropped below the 5% threshold required to retain parliamentary representation, marking its worst state election result since World War II. Meanwhile, the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party emerged as the strongest force with a projected 38% of the vote. In Berlin, the ruling CDU fell to second place with 20%, trailing Die Linke (The Left), which topped the capital's poll for the first time with nearly 26%.
The double defeat comes just two weeks after the CDU suffered a severe setback against the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, sparking intense debate over the government's trajectory and rumors of a potential mid-term leadership swap. Addressing reporters at CDU headquarters in Berlin, Merz defended his planned economic restructuring as vital to reviving Germany's stagnant economy and combating political extremism, characterizing the reforms as an essential "antidote to the authoritarian poison."
Having taken office 16 months ago with a mandate to restart economic growth, Merz has struggled against low approval ratings and internal party friction. In response to the electoral crisis, the chancellor canceled his scheduled trip to New York for the UN General Assembly to focus on domestic stability, insisting that navigating the current headwinds requires "backbone, steadfastness and patience."