Merz under pressure as CDU suffers twin regional election setbacks
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced fresh pressure on Monday after his party suffered two defeats in regional elections, raising new questions over his authority and his plan to push through reforms in Europe’s biggest economy. Voters in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania dealt another blow to Merz’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union, with the party losing its place in a state legislature for the first time.
Minutes after polls closed on Sunday, Merz said he would stay on and press ahead with reforms. But the final results showed the scale of the setback, especially in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where Merz himself called the outcome a “disaster”.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the CDU fell just below the 5 per cent threshold needed to keep seats in the regional parliament after losing more than half its support. It was the first time in the 77-year history of modern Germany’s federal republic that the party had failed to win representation in a state legislature. In Berlin, the CDU slipped to second place behind the Left Party, which is best placed to lead the next city government, though Merz’s party could still keep city hall depending on coalition talks.
Neither state is among Germany’s biggest political centres. The CDU’s 2023 win in Berlin was its only victory in the capital in the past 25 years, and the party was already weak in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Even so, the heavy loss there adds to the pressure on Merz after a clear defeat by the far-right Alternative for Germany two weeks ago in Saxony-Anhalt, another eastern region, which hurt his authority and triggered speculation that he could be replaced.
Alternative for Germany, or AfD, emerged as the strongest party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while the centre-left Social Democrats, the junior partner in Merz’s national coalition, finished fairly close behind. Their campaign centred on state governor Manuela Schwesig as a barrier against the far-right party. That polarisation squeezed other mainstream parties, including the CDU. A left-leaning three-party coalition led by Schwesig would have a majority in the new regional legislature.
Schwesig and others in the governing parties have questioned parts of the federal government’s reform agenda, which is aimed at reviving Germany’s sluggish economy. The plans include an overhaul of the pension system, a reduction in bureaucracy and cuts to income tax for low- and middle-income families. Matthias Miersch, head of the Social Democrats’ group in the national parliament, said it was clear that “we need reforms”. But he told ARD television that “we must also take people’s concerns seriously.”
Merz was due to hold more meetings with his party leadership on Monday. Much may depend on the CDU’s powerful regional leaders. The party’s eight state governors backed the chancellor last week, though doubts remained over how strong that support was. There are no more elections this year, but five state elections are due next year, three of them in April. One will be in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, led by senior CDU figure Hendrik Wst, who is often mentioned as a possible successor to Merz. The latest results have deepened the pressure on Merz as he tries to keep both his party and reform agenda on course.
