German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed on Sunday 20 September 2026 to accelerate the pace of reforms to move the country forward, after describing his party, the Christian Democratic Union, as suffering a “disaster” in the state election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in north-eastern Germany. Merz made the remarks after an exit poll indicated that the Alternative for Germany was on course to top the poll in the state.
Poll puts Alternative for Germany on course to top election
Nevertheless, the poll suggested that the party would not take part in forming the state government, as other parties have ruled out working with it. A poll conducted for the German public broadcaster ARD showed the Alternative for Germany winning 37% of the vote.
By contrast, the governing Social Democratic Party, described by the poll results as centre-right, won 35.5% of the vote. The Christian Democratic Union, led by Merz, fell to 5.5%, recording the party’s worst result in any German state election since 1949.
Christian Democratic Union nears threshold
The result left the party close to the minimum threshold required to enter the state parliament. The electoral threshold for securing representation in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania parliament is 5%. Given the narrow gap between the poll result and the threshold, it remained unclear in light of the initial indications whether the Christian Democratic Union would win seats in the state parliament.
The state election coincided with another vote held in Berlin. The poll showed the Left party on course to win the largest share of the vote in the German capital’s election, but it would need partners to form a coalition enabling it to take the post of Berlin mayor if the results are confirmed.
If this result is confirmed, it would be the first time the Left party has reached the office of capital city mayor since German reunification in 1990, while the arrangements for local government remain dependent on the confirmed results and coalition talks.
