Merz ‘fighting for political survival’ as AfD takes another state and The Left wins Berlin

The rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) means the country’s regional elections have perhaps never garnered so much attention. On Sunday, Germans voted in Berlin and the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern where AfD won following their triumphant success in Saxony-Anhalt. There, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) failed to make the five percent threshold in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Further worrying chancellor Friedrich Merz, The Left (Die Linke) won in Berlin, making history. The CDU came second, with AfD set to take third place. Milan Nič, a researcher at the German Council on Foreign Relations, said: “Germany has undergone a stress test at the regional level. The Brandmauer [the anti-far-right firewall] against AfD is indeed crumbling there, but it continues to hold at federal level. However, the polarisation and the overall trend are bad. If AfD and Die Linke continue to grow at this rate ahead of the 2029 elections, Europe will look entirely different,” the foreign-policy expert warned. He said the weekend elections demonstrate that voters are mobilised and deeply-dissatisfied with their regions' poor economic performances. “At the same time, the federal government — especially the chancellor — is highly unpopular. “The CDU paid the price for that and suffered another drubbing,” the German politics expert told Denník N. He believes the chancellor is fighting for his political survival. “It has become clear that the CDU still has no answer to AfD, Germany is in a profound crisis and will have to look for leadership,” Milan Nič said. Under pressure to resign, Merz spoke to media mere minutes after projection results on Sunday. Local media noted how exceptional this is. But the chancellor refused to give up. “What must be done now requires backbone, perseverance and patience. I am prepared to provide that — as CDU leader and, above all, as chancellor of our country,” he declared. Merz's Mecklenburg muddle The seaside region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern lies in north-eastern Germany near the Polish border. There, AfD are set to win 38.2 percent of the vote, with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) receiving 35.5 percent of the vote, dethroning the party after 30 years. The far-right is celebrating its second win following the Saxony-Anhalt success. Unlike in Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD may not form a government in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Projections show that for the first time ever, Merz’s CDU failed to clear the five-percent threshold and will not enter the state parliament. Merz admitted this scarring result is not to be sugar-coated. “It is a catastrophe,” he said.