German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described his party’s defeat in the state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as “a heavy blow” but said he would not leave office.
Merz spoke on Monday after leadership meetings at the CDU headquarters in Berlin following Sunday’s elections. He described the CDU’s failure to clear the 5 percent electoral threshold in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as a dramatic result that had occurred for the first time in the party’s history.
This is a heavy blow. But the election results and the reasons behind them go far beyond me personally. We are witnessing a profound transformation of the political system in Germany and many other countries.
Results of the state elections
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came first with 38.2 percent. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) received 35.5 percent, while the CDU remained at 4.9 percent and failed to enter the state parliament for the first time in its history.
In Berlin, the Left Party came first with 25.7 percent. The CDU received 18.8 percent, while the AfD won 16.3 percent.
Emphasis on the coalition government
Merz said the results in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin showed the rise of far-right and left-wing populist parties. Describing the AfD and the Left Party as “destructive forces,” Merz said the CDU would analyze the results in the coming days and draw the necessary lessons.
Merz also thanked the SPD, the CDU’s federal coalition partner, for confirming that it would remain in government after the election results. Saying that they wanted to advance the reform process, Merz said people were concerned about their jobs, families, retirement income and health care.
Merz said it was a historic responsibility for the coalition government in Berlin and the political center to prepare the country for the coming years on these issues.
