Merz Vows to Stay as AfD Surges in State Elections

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to remain in office and pursue his government’s reform agenda after his Christian Democratic Union suffered major losses in state elections. Exit polls put the CDU at roughly 5% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, its worst result in a German state since World War II, while the far-right Alternative for Germany led with about 37% to 38%. In Berlin, the CDU was projected to finish behind the Left Party, with about 20% compared with roughly 25% to 26%, while the AfD also made gains. Merz called the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania result a “disaster” but said Germany’s economic and political difficulties made difficult reforms more urgent. The setbacks, following an AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks earlier, have intensified speculation that Merz could face an internal challenge, though party allies have backed him and other parties’ refusal to cooperate with the AfD is expected to keep it out of government.