- Published
Embattled German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to stay on despite exit polls in two local elections suggesting damaging defeats for his centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party.
In the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the party was initially projected to scrape through with its worst ever election result. But a few hours later, it dipped below the 5% threshold needed to stay in parliament. Merz called it "a disaster" for his party.
Meanwhile the far-right AfD was on track to win the most votes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, but it is unlikely to govern as other parties refuse to work with it.
In Berlin, the ruling CDU was expected to be beaten by Die Linke (The Left).
Merz is under mounting pressure, with poor approval ratings and rumours he could even be replaced mid-term in a so-called chancellor swap.
Votes took place on Sunday, a fortnight after the CDU saw its vote halved as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a major victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Echoing comments he made after that defeat, Merz told reporters at the party's Berlin headquarters on Sunday that he would forge ahead with his coalition government's plans to push through a package of economic, tax and welfare reforms.
"The reforms have to come," he insisted. "I am taking on this responsibility, because I want to move our country forward".
"What needs to be done now requires backbone, steadfastness and patience," Merz said. "I will demonstrate this as CDU party chairman and, above all, as chancellor of our country."
"I would even go so far as to say that these reforms are the antidote to the authoritarian poison that, with the fascination of authoritarianism, is penetrating ever deeper into our society," Merz added.
The AfD's national co-leader Alice Weidel said: "We are the strongest force and have reached the mainstream of the population."
Some branches of the populist AfD are classed as right-wing extremist by domestic intelligence, a designation it strongly rejects.
But its anti-immigration, German-first, and Russian-friendly agenda has found fertile ground in the country's former communist east.
As the projected results came up on the screen at the CDU's election night gathering in Berlin, there were no cheers or celebration.
This is a party that knows it's in trouble, and its leader quickly went on the offensive, declaring that he is going nowhere.
Merz has long coveted the top job in German politics, and likely won't give it up easily.
Polls for both states closed at 18:00 local time (17:00 BST), with a final result expected later on Sunday night, or even Monday morning.
Public broadcasters ZDF and ARD put the AfD slightly ahead in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The party was projected to take 38% of the vote share in the state, followed in second place by the centre-left SPD, on 36%.
For Berlin, the broadcasters put the CDU on 20% of the vote share when polls closed, behind Die Linke - which has never topped polls in the capital before - on nearly 26%.
The AfD also looks set to increase its vote in Berlin, with a projected 16% of the vote.
Prior to Sunday's elections, there had been intense speculation in Germany that Merz could be replaced unless his party's political fortunes improved.
Earlier this week, the leaders of eight German states backed Merz, who has only been chancellor for 16 months.
On Sunday, Burkard Dregger from the CDU in Berlin, told the BBC it was right that Merz should stay on. "He has a lot of work to do and we don't have time to waste to form new government in the federal level".
He described the electorate as "impatient", adding that it was "not realistic to expect that every issue has been solved within one year.
"He has got four years and we have to give him the four years," Dregger said.
While his backers have argued that many of the problems the nation faces are inherited, Merz himself is deeply unpopular.
The former corporate lawyer's tack to the right on issues like immigration has failed to erode AfD support, while also alienating people further to the left.
- Published19 hours ago
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- Published7 September
Facts Only
* German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to stay in office despite exit polls for two local elections.
* In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the party dipped below the 5% threshold required to remain in parliament.
* The far-right AfD was projected to win the most votes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
* The ruling CDU was expected to be beaten by Die Linke in Berlin.
* Merz stated he would push through economic, tax, and welfare reforms.
* Merz asserted that the reforms require "backbone, steadfastness and patience."
* The AfD's national co-leader claimed the party is the strongest force and has reached the mainstream of the population.
* Public broadcasters projected the CDU held 20% of the vote share in Berlin at the time polls closed.
* Burkard Dregger from the CDU argued that Merz should remain in office to avoid wasting time forming a new government.
* The AfD was projected to take 16% of the vote in Berlin.
Executive Summary
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to remain in office despite exit polls for two local elections suggesting poor results for his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the party's projection dipped below the 5% threshold needed to stay in parliament. Despite this, Merz stated he would pursue his coalition government's plans for economic, tax, and welfare reforms, insisting that these changes are necessary for moving the country forward.
The far-right AfD was projected to win the most votes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern but faces difficulty in forming a governing coalition with other parties. In Berlin, the ruling CDU was expected to be beaten by Die Linke, although public broadcasters estimated the CDU held 20% of the vote share when polls closed, behind Die Linke's projected 26%. Merz is facing mounting pressure regarding his approval ratings and rumors of a potential mid-term replacement.
The shift in voter sentiment is contextualized by recent events, including a major victory for the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, which preceded the local elections. Supporters argue that the current challenges are inherited, while critics point to Merz's failure on immigration issues as a factor alienating voters.
Full Take
The narrative centers on a tension between perceived institutional stability (Merz's resolve) and shifting public political currents characterized by populist mobilization. The process described involves leadership responding to measurable electoral uncertainty by emphasizing an action-oriented, principled stance—the necessity of reforms—as a means of regaining perceived authority against mounting internal and external challenges. The juxtaposition of Merz’s call for "backbone" against the widespread suggestion of impending political collapse reveals a strategic attempt to frame personal endurance as moral leadership rather than mere political inertia.
The emergence and strength of the AfD, despite internal categorization by intelligence services, signals a successful channeling of socio-economic grievances into an organized political force in regions historically marked by left-wing opposition. The shift from traditional coalition politics is being challenged by an agenda emphasizing cultural and identity concerns, which has provided fertile ground for this movement. This suggests that the primary dynamic at play is not merely a reflection of voting patterns, but a contest over the very definition of national priorities—whether they should be managed through established consensus or driven by more radical shifts.
The insistence on reforms as an "antidote to authoritarian poison" frames policy execution as a moral crusade rather than a pragmatic response to electoral defeat. This functions to reassert cognitive sovereignty by anchoring political action in perceived universal values, attempting to insulate the leadership from being viewed solely through the lens of negative poll results. The implicit question is: when established political structures are perceived to be failing, does adherence to institutional process offer sufficient resistance against emergent, potent alternative narratives? What historical patterns allow an incumbent to successfully pivot from tactical defeat to moral imperative?
Sentinel — Human
The text reads like standard, albeit politically focused, journalistic reporting, effectively synthesizing reported events and direct statements from political figures.