German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to remain in office and push forward with economic reforms following historic electoral defeats for his center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in state elections held on September 20, 2026.
The CDU suffered severe losses in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin, with exit polls showing the party falling to just 5% in the former state—its worst result since World War II—and trailing behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the hard-left Die Linke party in the latter. Merz described the outcomes as a “disaster” but rejected calls to resign, arguing that difficult reforms to the economy and welfare system are urgently needed to counter the rise of authoritarianism.
Key Election Results
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: The AfD surged to approximately 37% of the vote, while the CDU plummeted to 5.5%.
- Berlin: The CDU was projected to come in second with 20%, behind the Left Party at 24.5%.
- Context: These results follow another major setback for the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks prior, where the AfD won a significant victory, further weakening Merz’s political standing.
Merz, who has been in power for 16 months, pledged to demonstrate “backbone, steadfastness, and patience” to implement reforms aimed at reviving Germany’s stagnant economy, despite mounting pressure from critics who view his refusal to step down as politically untenable.
