Overview
- On Wednesday eight CDU minister presidents issued a joint written statement offering conditional support for Chancellor Friedrich Merz and explicitly warning against a minority federal government.
- Polling puts the CDU at roughly six percent in Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, only about one point above the 5% threshold that would bar the party from the state parliament.
- A ZDF-commissioned survey shows a knife-edge contest with the SPD at about 37 percent and the AfD at about 36 percent, making the regional vote a key indicator of party strength in the east.
- High fuel and energy costs dominated the closing campaign, with SPD leader Manuela Schwesig calling for a fuel‑price cap and government sources saying Merz cancelled a planned UN trip to stay in Berlin for crisis management.
- Commentators warn the ministers’ letter may buy only short-term calm because Merz’s policy reversals and communication failures have weakened public trust and a bad result could trigger coalition turbulence and a rethink of the reform agenda.