Friedrich Merz calls AfD victory in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania “a disaster”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the election result in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania “a disaster,” after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured, according to exit polls, its second consecutive regional victory.

The AfD is projected to have won 37% of the vote, ahead of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which is estimated to have received 35.5%. The election took place two weeks after the AfD’s historic victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The chancellor’s party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), secured just 5.5%, barely clearing the electoral threshold.

“The result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania cannot be ignored; it is a disaster,” Merz said in a statement. He linked the results to Germany’s economic problems and the increasingly deep divisions in society.

On the same day, the Die Linke party won the election in Berlin with 24.5%, ahead of the CDU, which was projected to receive 20%. The AfD is estimated to have won 16%, below pre-election polling estimates. The result could lead to the CDU losing control of the local government.

Merz argued that Germany needs reforms, which he described as “a remedy against authoritarian poison,” and said he accepts responsibility for the country’s direction.