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Germany’s Berlin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania states head to polls
Al Jazeera • • general
Key Points:
- Voters in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are heading to the polls amid rising far-right and far-left party support, posing a challenge to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
- Merz has called a crisis meeting for the CDU and skipped the UN General Assembly to focus on potential fallout from the elections, following a major defeat to the far-right AfD in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks ago.
- The AfD is polling nearly neck-and-neck with the SPD in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while the CDU risks falling below the 5 percent threshold to remain in the state parliament.
- In Berlin, the CDU faces strong competition from the far-left Die Linke, which appeals to younger voters with promises to address the housing crisis and reduce corporate influence.
- Merz's approval ratings have dropped to around 14 percent amid difficulties pushing reforms, raising doubts about his leadership as the AfD aims to build momentum toward federal elections in 2029.
