Merz vows to remain chancellor after CDU 'disaster' in two state elections

Friedrich Merz has vowed to remain chancellor after his CDU suffered heavy losses in state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday.

• The AfD placed first in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with nearly 38 percent, while the CDU barely crossed the 5 percent threshold for its worst-ever state result.
• In Berlin, the left-wing Die Linke led with about 25 percent, ahead of the incumbent CDU by a five-point margin.
• Merz called the results a "disaster" but said he would remain chancellor and party chair and continue his reform drive.
• AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla said voters gave his party a "very clear result" and called on the chancellor to resign.
• The CDU fell to 4.9 percent, failing to reach the 5 percent threshold, down from 13.3 percent in 2021.
• The AfD's win marked its second consecutive state election victory within two weeks.
• Final official results in Berlin gave the Left 25.7% of the vote, its best-ever showing, against the CDU's 18.8% and the AfD's 16.3%.
• Merz called the Berlin result a 'catastrophe,' the CDU's worst in any state election since the founding of the Federal Republic.
• Mounting unrest within the CDU over Merz's leadership has fueled speculation about a possible chancellor swap.
• Analysts suggested Merz's political survival was at stake after the two state election defeats.