Merz Stands Firm Amid Historic State Election Losses

Chancellor Merz vows to continue reforms after CDU's worst state election results, as AfD gains momentum in Germany.

September 20, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Berlin, Germany — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has refused to back down following a significant electoral loss in two key states, vowing to push forward with economic and political reforms despite the setback.

Exit polls from public broadcaster ARD revealed that Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) scored just 5% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, marking the party’s lowest result in any state since World War II. Meanwhile, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) saw substantial gains, capturing 37% of the vote in that region and 15.7% in Berlin.

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Merz called the outcome a ‘disaster’ but emphasized that the challenges facing Germany require bold action. He stated that difficult reforms are more necessary than ever, and pledged to demonstrate ‘backbone, steadfastness, and patience’ in his role as both CDU chairman and chancellor. The CDU finished second in Berlin with 20%, behind Die Linke, which received 24.5% of the vote, according to ARD.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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