BERLIN, Germany — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered major losses in two state elections on Sunday, September 20, 2026, as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took the lead in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the left-wing Die Linke emerged ahead in Berlin.
Exit polls showed the CDU falling below the threshold for parliamentary representation in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, while finishing behind Die Linke in the German capital.
The results followed the AfD’s victory in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks earlier, where it secured 44 per cent of the vote.
CDU Falls Below Parliamentary Threshold
In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, exit polls published by German broadcaster ZDF projected that the AfD would receive 38 per cent of the vote, ahead of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which was forecast to secure 36.5 per cent.
The CDU was projected to fall below the 5 per cent threshold required to enter the state parliament.
Such a result would mark the first time the party had failed to secure parliamentary representation in a German state election.
Its previous lowest result was 9 per cent in Bremen in 1951.
Merz acknowledged the scale of the setback in remarks to party members after the exit polls were released.
“We cannot sugarcoat the result in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,” he said. “It is a disaster. The CDU fought hard, but in the end it was the CDU that got crushed in the polarisation between the [Social Democratic Party] and the AfD.”
The chancellor nevertheless reiterated his commitment to economic reforms.
“The answer cannot be to go back to the good old days,” he said.
The election also tested the support of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s Social Democratic premier, Manuela Schwesig, who has governed the state since 2017.
Schwesig campaigned on employment, education, and social cohesion, while the AfD advocated mass deportations of undocumented migrants, an end to German military assistance to Ukraine, and closer relations with Russia.
Die Linke Leads Berlin Election
In Berlin, exit polls placed Die Linke first with 26 per cent of the vote, followed by the CDU and the Greens.
The AfD was initially projected to receive 13.5 per cent, compared with the 9.1 per cent it secured in the capital’s previous state parliamentary election in 2023.
Housing affordability was a central campaign issue in Berlin, where rising rents and a shortage of available homes have contributed to concerns among residents.
Die Linke’s lead candidate, Elif Eralp, addressed cheering supporters after the projections were announced.
“In our city, love and justice won over hate,” she said. “And today we showed that together and sent this signal out into the world.”
The contrasting results in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern placed the CDU behind parties on opposite sides of Germany’s political spectrum.
AfD Leader Calls for Change in CDU Leadership
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel welcomed the results, telling CNN that her party was “clearly the new people’s party in Germany.”
“We have overtaken the CDU, and people want a change of policy,” she said.
Weidel also questioned Merz’s continued leadership, describing the chancellor as “strongly damaged.”
“I believe the CDU cannot continue with Friedrich Merz, with a weak chancellor,” she said.
The results came two weeks after the AfD recorded its 44 per cent victory in Saxony-Anhalt, another former East German state.
Merz maintained that his government would continue pursuing reforms to address Germany’s economic difficulties despite his party’s electoral losses.
