Chancellor Merz schedules crisis meeting as German voters go to the polls in state elections amid EU fears of another AfD victory
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has convened an emergency meeting of his centre-right CDU party to assess results from Sunday's regional elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where far-right and far-left parties are expected to make significant gains. The elections represent another potential setback for Merz, whose government has struggled following the AfD's strong performance in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks earlier, and who has seen his approval ratings collapse amid difficulties implementing promised economic and social welfare reforms with his SPD coalition partners. This political pressure threatens to destabilise Merz's position and reshape Germany's political landscape.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the CDU faces a historic crisis, polling at just six per cent—dangerously close to the five per cent threshold needed for parliamentary representation—whilst the SPD and AfD battle for dominance at 37 and 36 per cent respectively. In Berlin, the CDU is running neck-and-neck with the far-left Die Linke. Merz's personal approval rating has fallen to just above ten per cent, with only 13 per cent of voters satisfied with his political performance in September—the lowest figures ever recorded for an incumbent chancellor. Though eight state premiers issued a joint call for stability, they notably withheld personal endorsement of Merz, underscoring the fragility of his position.
- Merz faces potential electoral losses in two state elections as far-right and far-left surge
- CDU risks falling below five per cent threshold in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for first time
- Chancellor's approval rating collapsed to lowest levels ever recorded for incumbent chancellor
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Friedrich Merz is the Chancellor of Germany, leading the centre-right CDU party, but his government has faced significant difficulties since taking office. His coalition with the left-leaning Social Democrats has struggled to implement promised reforms, and his approval ratings have collapsed to record lows for an incumbent chancellor.
The far-right AfD party has been growing in strength across Germany and is expected to perform strongly in regional elections on Sunday. Merz's CDU is particularly weak in some regions, with support in one area so low it risks losing parliamentary representation entirely.
Other regional leaders have jointly called for political stability but pointedly did not endorse Merz personally, signalling that his position has become very fragile even among his own political allies.