AfD Wins Second Regional Vote as CDU Suffers Historic Collapse

Overview

• Exit polls and early counts on Sunday showed the far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leading in Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania with roughly 37–38 percent, putting the party first in a second state in two weeks.
• The CDU recorded its poorest regional performance since 1949 in that vote, scoring at or just above the 5 percent threshold and in some reports falling below it, which triggered Merz to call a party meeting and cancel a planned UN trip.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the result as a “disaster” but said he will remain in office and push ahead with his reform agenda despite deep internal party unease and very low personal approval ratings.
• Mainstream parties have reiterated a refusal to form coalitions with the AfD, maintaining a political cordon sanitaire that keeps the party from immediate executive power even as its national poll standing rises.
• Analysts say the successive regional setbacks force the CDU to rethink strategy for recovery, raise questions about party leadership and could reshape national politics by increasing voter volatility on issues such as the economy, migration and energy.