Another defeat for Merz, another victory for the AfD

The CDU, led by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, suffered its worst result in history in the state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin, where the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) confirmed its impressive rise. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the AfD secured around 38 per cent of the vote, up from 16.7 per cent in the previous election, overtaking the Social Democrats who had been governing the state. The Social Democrats polled 36 per cent, losing nearly 4 percentage points. According to preliminary results, the CDU only just failed to clear the 5 per cent threshold, leaving it out of a state parliament for the first time in its history. In Berlin, it was the far-left party Die Linke that caused the surprise, securing around 25 per cent of the vote – almost double its share in the previous election. The CDU plummeted from 28 per cent to 20 per cent, whilst the SPD slumped from 18.4 per cent to 12 per cent. The Greens also lost ground, coming in at 15 per cent. By contrast, the AfD almost doubled its share of the vote, reaching over 15 per cent.

AfD leader Alice Weidel yesterday called on Friedrich Merz to “draw the necessary conclusions” from the election results in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. Speaking immediately after the exit polls were published, Merz acknowledged the “disaster” for the CDU, but ruled out resigning. “What we must do now requires courage, resolve and patience. I am ready to put these qualities into practice as CDU chairman and, above all, as Chancellor of our country,” said Merz. The Chancellor intends to press ahead with his reform programme to revitalise Germany’s economy. “Reforms are the antidote to the poison of authoritarianism which, through the allure of authoritarianism, is penetrating ever deeper into our society,” said Merz.