Germany’s far right secures another win in key regional election, exit poll says

BERLIN — Germany’s far right won its second regional election in a row in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday, according to exit polls, but will probably be prevented from governing by a strong second-place showing from the center-left Social Democrats.

Although exit polls on the ARD broadcaster put the AfD’s vote at 37% — just ahead of the SPD on 35.5% — the SPD should have sufficient support to form a coalition and stop the AfD running the state.

The vote is being closely watched after the AfD scored a historic victory in another eastern state — Saxony-Anhalt — two weeks ago.

The Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania race is also a key test for center-right Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as speculation grows that party insiders could move to replace him if the party collapses again in a regional election.

His CDU won only 5.5% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania — the worst outcome for his party in any regional or national election since the end of World War II.

“We can’t sugarcoat the results in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. It’s a disaster. The CDU fought hard, but in the end, it was crushed in the escalating confrontation between the SPD and the AfD,” Merz said after the exit polls.

In Berlin, Die Linke, or the Left party, is on course to finish first with 24.5%, according to the ARD exit poll, ahead of Merz’s CDU on 20%, which currently controls the mayor’s office in the capital.