German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to hold his ruling coalition together, insisting it is essential for Germany’s “democratic future” after his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered heavy defeats in two state elections.
Speaking on Monday, Merz said the alliance between his CDU and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) must meet the “historic challenges” facing the country, even as pressure mounts on his leadership following Sunday’s results, reported by BBC News.
In the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won the most votes, while the CDU failed to clear the threshold needed to enter the state parliament at all. In Berlin, the CDU finished second behind the hard-left Die Linke, with the AfD also making significant gains.
Merz called the outcome in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern “a heavy blow” and “a dramatic, unprecedented result for the CDU in Germany”, describing it as a profound turning point. Yet he rejected suggestions that his own low approval ratings were the main cause of the setbacks.
“The reasons for these election results go far beyond my own person,” he insisted, pushing back against growing talk of a mid-term “chancellor swap” that could see him replaced.
Even so, Merz’s position looks increasingly fragile after months of poor polling. When asked how much longer he might remain in office, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel told the BBC: “Pretty soon, he’s going to leave.”
The twin elections come just two weeks after the CDU saw its vote share halved in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD secured a major victory. The string of losses has intensified debate within the CDU and among its coalition partners about strategy, leadership and whether the current government can survive a full term.
For now, Merz is betting that unity and a focus on long-term democratic stability will steady the ship. Whether that message resonates with voters or with restless lawmakers in his own party, remains an open question as the AfD continues to capitalise on discontent across several states.
