Germany’s far-right AfD win another state election, piling pressure on Chancellor Merz, exit polls show

Key Points:

• The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, faced significant losses in state elections, with exit polls showing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) winning 38% in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, while the CDU barely secured 5%, marking a historic low for the party.
• In Berlin, the left-wing Die Linke led with 26%, followed by the CDU and Greens, with the AfD coming in fourth at 13.5%, indicating growing far-right support even in the capital.
• Merz described the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern results as a "disaster" but emphasized the need for reform to address economic challenges and social divisions, rejecting a return to past policies.
• AfD co-leader Alice Weidel declared her party as "the new people’s party in Germany," criticizing Merz's leadership and suggesting the CDU cannot continue under his chancellorship.
• The elections highlighted regional disparities, with the AfD capitalizing on economic dissatisfaction and anti-immigration sentiment in former East German states, while Berlin’s election focused heavily on housing affordability issues.