Friedrich Merz vows to stay in office after CDU ‘disaster’ in German state elections
Also reported by BBC World
Summary
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he will stay in office despite his conservative party, the CDU, suffering major losses in two state elections. The far-right party AfD won the most votes in one region, while a left-wing party led in another, showing growing support for parties outside the traditional center.Key Facts
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU barely passed the 5% vote threshold in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, its worst result there ever.
- The far-right party, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), won nearly 38% of votes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and also made gains in Berlin.
- The far-left party Die Linke led in Berlin with about 25% of the vote, ahead of the CDU.
- The AfD has now been the strongest party in three different German state elections but remains excluded from power by other party agreements.
- Merz admitted the CDU lost support partly due to a lack of positive influence from the federal government in Berlin.
- He said he will continue working on reforms in taxes, healthcare, pensions, and cutting bureaucracy.
- The AfD’s co-leader called on Merz to resign after the election losses.
- Germany’s political situation is seen as unstable with rising support for radical parties on both left and right, challenging traditional parties.
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