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German Chancellor Merz vows to stay on despite 'disaster' in state election
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to remain in office despite exit polls indicating significant losses for his CDU party in local elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin.
- In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the far-right AfD is projected to win the most votes with 38%, while the CDU barely made it into parliament; Merz described the outcome as "a disaster" for his party.
- In Berlin, the CDU is expected to be defeated by Die Linke, with the CDU polling around 20% and Die Linke nearly 26%.
- Merz faces mounting pressure amid poor approval ratings and speculation about a possible mid-term replacement, but he insists on pushing forward with planned economic, tax, and welfare reforms.
- Despite the AfD's strong showing, other parties are unlikely to form coalitions with it, limiting its ability to govern in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
