German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to preserve his governing coalition with the Social Democratic Party, despite major election defeats for his CDU. The results have intensified pressure on his leadership and strengthened both the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the hard-left Die Linke, raising concerns about Germany’s political direction.

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the AfD won the most votes while the CDU failed to enter the state parliament; in Berlin, the CDU finished second behind Die Linke, with the AfD making substantial gains. Merz called the results a “heavy blow” and an “unprecedented” setback, but rejected claims that his low approval ratings were the main cause and dismissed speculation about a mid-term replacement.