German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to remain in office and continue his reform programme after his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered its worst regional election result in postwar history.
The CDU failed to cross the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while the Alternative for Germany (AfD) emerged as the leading party. The CDU also lost ground in Berlin, where the Left Party won the most seats.
Merz described the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania result as a “disaster” but rejected speculation that he could step down. He said his government must continue reforms aimed at reviving Germany’s sluggish economy and improving competitiveness.
The results have also exposed tensions within Merz’s coalition with the Social Democrats, who have called for changes to parts of his reform agenda, including pensions.
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