Merz under pressure as two more German states go to the polls
Polls show the AfD gaining ground in both contests, while Merz’s approval falls to 14% and CDU leaders face renewed questions about his future.
- On Sunday, German voters head to the polls in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in final state elections that threaten to further undermine embattled Chancellor Friedrich Merz's leadership.
- Earlier this month, the CDU collapsed to 17% in Saxony-Anhalt while the AfD soared to 44%, intensifying conservative rumors about a potential 'chancellor swap' within Merz's party.
- In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the SPD edges ahead of the AfD at 37% versus 36%, with the campaign centered on popular state premier Manuela Schwesig.
- Berlin voters may see the Left Party overtake the CDU for the mayor's office, raising fresh questions over the so-called "firewall" strategy under which parties refuse AfD coalitions.
- Merz's approval ratings have plunged to 14% amid frustration over pension, tax, and energy reforms; senior CDU figures rallied behind him despite deep economic challenges ahead.
274 Articles
274 Articles
On Sunday, Germans go to the polls in two hotly contested state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. If opinion polls are correct, the right-wing AfD party is set for further electoral success – and the elections also risk being the nail in the coffin for Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Regional Elections in Germany Register High Participation and Threats to Friedrich Merz’s Leadership
The elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania measure the strength of the extreme right and weaken the party's position in power.
In the capital, the Union could lose the mayor's post, even fly out of the Landtag in Schwerin. Chancellor Merz' future is also at stake.
Due to an unexpected problem in Rostock, voters in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state election were temporarily able to cast their votes on a bus.
The ultra-right could strike another blow on the electoral board in Mecklenburg-Ante-Pomerania and Berlin after imposing itself two weeks ago in Saxony-Anhalt. More information: AfD's German ultras achieve their first great victory: they will be able to rule Saxony if the populist left abstains.
Germany votes in two states on Sunday in elections that could significantly increase political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the future of his governing coalition. The local elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern come at a difficult time for Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. Polls suggest the conservatives risk significant losses, which could put the question of whether the chancellor can finish his term back at …
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