Merz Faces New Pressure After Historic CDU Election Losses
Two regional votes have shaken Germany’s governing party and raised fresh questions about the chancellor’s political future.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is under renewed pressure after the CDU suffered major losses in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while the AfD and Die Linke made significant gains.
BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing renewed pressure after his Christian Democratic Union suffered major defeats in two regional elections, including its worst-ever showing in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The results have intensified questions about the strength of Merz’s leadership and the future of his reform agenda, although the chancellor has made clear that he intends to remain in office.
The elections on September 20 produced sharply different results across the two states. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the right-wing Alternative for Germany, or AfD, emerged as the strongest party. In Berlin, the left-wing Die Linke finished first. The CDU suffered significant losses in both contests.
Merz described the result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as a “disaster” but rejected calls to step aside
Historic Setback in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
The CDU’s result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was particularly damaging.
Preliminary final figures put the CDU at about 4.9%, just below Germany’s 5% threshold for representation in the state parliament. That means the party lost its parliamentary representation in the state, marking its worst state-election result since the party’s founding in the postwar period.
The AfD won roughly 38.2% of the vote, while the Social Democratic Party, led in the state by popular governor Manuela Schwesig, finished second with about 35.5%.
The result is especially significant because Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has become an important part of the broader political contest between the AfD and established parties.
For the CDU, however, the immediate issue is its own collapse in support.
Merz acknowledged that the party could not explain away the result and linked the lack of support partly to the absence of momentum from Berlin.
Berlin Produces a Different Political Shock
The outcome in Berlin was different but also difficult for the CDU.
Die Linke finished first with about 25.7%, while the CDU received 18.8%. The AfD came third with 16.3%, followed by the Greens and SPD.
The result means Berlin’s next government will likely require a coalition arrangement involving several parties.
The CDU had previously governed the capital in coalition with the SPD. The new numbers make that political landscape considerably more complicated.
Unlike Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where the AfD finished first, Berlin demonstrated the strength of a different opposition force.
Together, however, the two elections delivered the same message to Merz’s party: the CDU is struggling to maintain support across very different parts of Germany.
Economic Concerns Were Central
The election results cannot be explained by one issue alone.
Economic concerns, rising prices, housing costs and uncertainty over government reforms all played a role in the campaign.
German public broadcaster Tagesschau reported before the elections that rising fuel and diesel prices were among the issues angering voters in both states.
Merz’s government has been attempting to advance reforms involving pensions, bureaucracy and taxation while working with its centre-left coalition partner, the SPD.
Those reforms have created disagreements within the governing coalition.
The election results now give Merz’s critics another argument for questioning whether his government is moving quickly enough—or whether some policies need to be adjusted.
Merz Says He Will Continue
Despite the setbacks, Merz has rejected suggestions that he should leave office.
Speaking after the results, he said that the situation required “backbone, steadfastness, and patience” and reaffirmed his intention to continue as CDU leader and chancellor.
That position means the immediate political battle is likely to focus less on whether Merz leaves and more on how much room he has to change course.
The CDU leadership is now under pressure to respond to voters without abandoning the reforms that Merz says are necessary for Germany’s economy.
At the same time, coalition partners and members of Merz’s own political camp will have to consider how the regional results could affect national policy.
The AfD’s Continued Rise
The elections also highlighted the growing electoral strength of the AfD.
Its victory in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania followed another strong result in Saxony-Anhalt earlier in September. The party has made migration, economic concerns and opposition to some aspects of Germany’s energy policy central to its campaign.
The AfD remains excluded from governing coalitions by the other major parties, meaning a strong electoral result does not automatically translate into control of a state government.
Nevertheless, its continued growth is changing Germany’s political landscape and making coalition building more complicated.
What Happens Next?
The two elections were regional votes, not a national referendum on Merz’s government. But they carry national political significance because the CDU is the chancellor’s party and because the results came after another major setback in Saxony-Anhalt.
The pressure is therefore likely to continue.
Merz must now demonstrate that his government can maintain coalition unity, advance its economic program and respond to concerns over living costs while rebuilding support for the CDU.
There are no further German state elections scheduled for the remainder of 2026, but several important state votes are expected in 2027.
For now, Merz remains chancellor and has publicly committed to staying the course.
The bigger question is whether he can turn that commitment into political momentum.
The regional elections have shown that Germany’s electorate remains unsettled, while both the right and left have found opportunities to gain ground.
For Merz and the CDU, the next challenge is no longer simply explaining what went wrong on election night. It is convincing voters that the government’s economic and political agenda can deliver results.
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