Escalation: Merz Faces Crushing Defeats in State Elections
Initial projections late Sunday put the CDU at 4.9% in Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, its lowest share in any state since World War II. Dropping below the five‑percent hurdle would shut the party out of that state parliament for the first time. In Berlin, the CDU placed second with 19.1%, behind the Left on 25.3%.
The AfD surged, taking about 37.9% in Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania and 16.2% in Berlin, but it remained far from forming a government in either state. Friedrich Merz called the result a “disaster” and said he would press ahead, arguing the moment demands “backbone, steadfastness, and patience.”
Synthesized from 18 sources
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AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources
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