Overview
- Exit polls on Sunday showed the far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) projected to win Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania with about 37–38 percent while the left‑wing Die Linke led in Berlin, leaving the CDU with sharply reduced support.
- The CDU was projected at roughly 5–5.5 percent in Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania, a level that risks the party falling below the 5 percent threshold and losing all state parliamentary seats for the first time in postwar history.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the outcome a “disaster” but said he would remain in office and press on with tax, pension and economic reforms despite growing calls inside the CDU for leadership change.
- Mainstream parties reiterated their refusal to form coalitions with the AfD, but the AfD’s growing vote share in eastern states and its repeat strong showing after Saxony‑Anhalt signal rising momentum that complicates coalition math.
- Voter frustration over the cost of living, housing and slow growth helped both the far right and far left gain ground, a shift that could leave Germany politically fragmented and make it harder to pass contested reforms or sustain steady policy on issues like Ukraine and energy.