German state elections deal a blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz

German elections deal a blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz September 20, 2026Two of Germany's 16 federal states, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, have just elected new state legislatures. The results for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) represent yet another major blow in turbulent times both nationally and internationally. In northeastern Germany, projections suggest that the CDU narrowly failed to clear the 5% threshold for representation in parliament, a historic first in the party's history. In the German capital, the party that led the state government, lost nearly a third of its support, dropping to around 20%. Just minutes after the first projections were released, Merz made a statement: "We can't sugarcoat the results in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania — it was a disaster." As for the heavy losses in Berlin, he described the outcome there as "reasonable." For the CDU, this marks the third electoral defeat in two weeks. In the state election in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, the party came in far behind the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which the Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified as partially far-right extremist. In the wake of this debacle, Merz, whose term began in 2025, appeared visibly shaken. At the federal level, Merz governs in coalition with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), which saw mixed results in Sunday's state elections. With around 36% of the vote, SPD state premier Manuela Schwesig — who has been in office since 2017 — finished just behind the far-right AfD in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The AfD, on the other hand, nearly doubled its share of the vote compared to state elections in 2021, coming in first at 38%. In Berlin, however, the SPD's share of the vote fell by a third to 12%, while the AfD became the third-largest party, winning 16% of the vote. Meanwhile, the new frontrunner in the German capital is the socialist Left Party, with about 25%. It too was able to double its share of the vote, just as the AfD did in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. With the support of the SPD and the environmentalist Greens, the socialists — whom the CDU has labeled radical leftists and antisemites — would be able to form a coalition. Berlin set to get a left-wing mayor If this happens, Elif Eralp would be the first person from the Left Party to serve as mayor of Berlin. Leading up to the election, Eralp, the daughter of Turkish exiles, shared her vision in an interview with DW: "My vision for Berlin is an affordable Berlin where everyone — regardless of their background, religion, language or income — can lead a good life in dignity," Eralp said. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a coalition of SPD, the Left Party and the Greens is the most likely outcome. State Premier Schwesig said she was committed to a "stable democratic government." Meanwhile, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel once again declared on election night that the CDU's containment strategy of refusing to cooperate with her party had failed. Speaking on the public television network ZDF, she said: "Our long-term goal, of course, is to hold coalition talks with the CDU." The AfD and the Left Party are stronger than the CDU and SPD Both election results reflect widespread dissatisfaction among the population with Chancellor Merz and the coalition he leads with the SPD. In nationwide opinion polls, the governing coalition no longer has a majority. Here, too, the AfD is clearly in the lead, while the SPD is only narrowly ahead of the Left Party. Parties on the political fringes are now gaining significantly more support at both the federal and state levels than the ruling parties, which are frequently embroiled in arguments on the federal level. These disputes often arise in connection with the reform agenda announced months ago by Chancellor Merz, aimed at bringing the rapidly rising costs of health, long-term care and pension insurance under control. Despite yet another election setback, the German chancellor intends to stay the course: "The reforms must go ahead. Of course, this puts us all in a difficult situation. But we will shoulder this responsibility. I will shoulder this responsibility," he said. After lengthy discussions, the coalition had already reached an agreement on health care reforms. Many things, like drugs and dental prosthetics, will become more expensive, while family insurance coverage will also be scaled back. These are all measures that won't win any new support for the already unpopular government. The same goes for the ongoing debate over reforms to the pension system, which is set to be supplemented by increased private retirement savings. 'I want to move our country forward' Merz acknowledged that these changes would bring burdens and new uncertainties for many people. Nevertheless, he remained confident: "I want to move our country forward. I am also firmly convinced that the success of our reforms will not only improve our society but also boost our self-image and our image in the world." In foreign policy as well, Merz — and with him the federal government — is coming under increasing pressure as a result of the election results in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The AfD, which is particularly strong in eastern Germany, opposes military support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion. 'What needs to be done now requires backbone, resolve and patience' This complex situation makes things even more difficult for the federal government — and Merz is well aware of this. Taking stock of the heavy election defeats suffered by his CDU, he said: "What needs to be done now requires backbone, resolve and patience. I will muster that — as chairman of the CDU and, above all, as the chancellor of our country." This article has been translated from German.