Merz Rejects Exit Calls After AfD Wins 38% in Mecklenburg
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 21
Merz Rejects Exit Calls After AfD Wins 38% in Mecklenburg
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 21
Summary
Friedrich Merz convened CDU leaders in Berlin on Monday and ruled out resigning, saying his coalition must stay in place to protect Germany’s “democratic future.”
Three state-election defeats this month have left the chancellor under acute pressure, capped by Sunday’s result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania where the AfD won 38% and the CDU missed the 5% threshold for parliament.
Berlin deepened the setback: the CDU fell to second behind the far-left Linke, while AfD leaders said Merz could be out within months and aimed for a federal breakthrough in 2029.
SPD coalition partners did not threaten to quit, but demanded changes to Merz’s reform agenda, arguing pension, tax and bureaucracy plans need broader public backing after the voter backlash.
Merz said the losses reflected a wider reshaping of Germany’s party system, as economic weakness, unpopular reforms and migration politics fuel gains for both the far right and far left.