Europe · updated 2h ago · 2 min read
Friedrich Merz Says He Will Stay After CDU Falls Below 5% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
CDU failed to cross 5% threshold in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, signaling a historic setback. Merz vows to stay on as Chancellor despite regional election losses.
26 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Greek Rescue Teams Recover Six Dead After Gas Explosion Collapses Building Near Acropolis →
10 of 12 outlets skipped it: foreign minister Wadephul will address the UN instead of Merz.
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Merz vows to stay
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced a fresh political blow after the CDU fell below the 5% threshold in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a result Merz called a "disaster." Merz insisted on Monday that he would stay in his role, saying, "We are determined to live up to the historic responsibilities our country is facing."
The election outcomes left the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) finishing first in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with 38%, while the CDU was ejected from the state parliament after losing more than half its voters to the AfD and the Social Democrats. In Berlin, the CDU dropped to second place behind the hard-left Linke, which was on track to lead the next government in the city-state and could give Berlin its first Turkish-born mayor in its lead candidate, Elif Eralp.
AfD and Left surge
AfD leader Alice Weidel told the public broadcaster ZDF that her party had declared on election night that the CDU's containment strategy of refusing to cooperate had failed, saying, "Our long-term goal, of course, is to hold coalition talks with the CDU." In Berlin, the Left Party surged to about 25% and DW said Elif Eralp would be the first person from the Left Party to serve as mayor of Berlin if a coalition formed with the support of the SPD and the environmentalist Greens.
NPR said federal leader Alice Weidel argued that Merz was the wrong chancellor for the CDU, telling NPR, "Friedrich Merz is the wrong chancellor for the CDU," NPR also said Elif Eralp pledged that Berliners would not tolerate the AfD's policies, adding, "in our city, love and justice have triumphed over hate."
Reforms and coalition risk
Merz said he would push through reforms to Europe’s biggest economy after the election defeats, and AP said he planned to stay on as leader of both Germany and his center-right party. Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil warned that it would not work for the coalition to ignore what voters told it in three state polls, saying, "Saying we will ignore what voters told us in three state elections won’t work."
“Saying we will ignore what voters told us in three state elections won’t work.”
Labour Minister Bärbel Bas said the plans needed a "reality check" and a "fairness check," and she warned, "There would be nothing more lethal than letting this coalition break apart over some technical question," The Guardian said SPD leaders remained confident in their coalition with the CDU while arguing that changes to the agenda were necessary, as the government’s reform package faced doubts over efficacy and fairness.