German chancellor stands his ground after his party loses in state elections

Supporters of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), German Chancellor Friedrich Merz appears on a screen in a TV studio following the closure of polling stations in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state elections on September 20, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. Michele Tantussi/Getty Images hide caption

BERLIN — Last night, Friedrich Merz should have been on his way to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly. Instead he was at his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party's headquarters in Berlin from where he broke the stunned silence as exit polls for two state elections showed its worst result since World War II.

State elections for parliament seats, which in turn elect a government and a governor, were held in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and in the city of Berlin. In both places, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made significant gains since the last state elections in 2021 and 2023, receiving 38.2% in the rural northeastern state and 16.3 % in the capital. In Berlin, the far-left Die Linke came in first with 25.7% of the vote, seven percentage points ahead of the CDU.

Receiving just 4.9% of the vote in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the CDU hasn't even cleared the threshold meant to keep fringe parties out of parliament. Merz quashed talk within the press and his own party about his possible resignation despite Sunday's losses for his party just two weeks after a crushing defeat in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Usually, the German federal chancellor does not comment so promptly on state election results, especially for two states with relatively small electorates. But his party's crushing defeat in both states is starting to reflect poorly on Merz.

Merz conceded that the night spells "disaster" for the political center, but assured the public he'd push ahead with his federal agenda of tax and welfare reforms, describing them as "the antidote to the poison of authoritarianism."

He stressed that implementing these reforms "require backbone, steadfastness and patience" and that he will "demonstrate this" as "chancellor of our country."

A woman holds ballons of the Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to prepare the election party at the House of Representatives of Berlin during regional elections in the German capital on September 20, 2026. Germans began voting in two state elections - the capital Berlin and the northeastern federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania - where far-right and far-left gains could send new shock waves to Berlin and rock the government of embattled Chancellor Friedrich Merz. RALF HIRSCHBERGER/AFP via Getty Images hide caption