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Merz Declares Election 'Disaster' as AfD Set for Big Win
Confirmed
In Short: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared Sunday's regional election results a 'disaster' for his center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, which saw its worst-ever performance in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared Sunday's regional election results a 'disaster' for his center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, which saw its worst-ever performance in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Merz, who has faced mounting pressure and poor approval ratings, vowed to stay on and push through his coalition government's economic, tax, and welfare reforms. 'What needs to be done now requires backbone, steadfastness, and patience,' Merz told reporters at the CDU's Berlin headquarters.
Merz's authority was already damaged by the CDU's defeat to the AfD in the September regional election in Saxony, which shocked many Germans who believed their country had developed an immunity to nationalism and assertions of racial superiority.
Despite the loss, Merz said he would not resign and would continue to push his agenda. 'Trust in our country’s institutions is waning and is being actively undermined by radical parties on both the left and the right,' Merz added.
Background
Voters in Sweden are casting ballots in a closely watched election that could see the far-right Sweden Democrats enter government for the first time.
A disaster is an event that causes such serious harm to people, buildings, economies, or the environment that the affected community cannot manage without external assistance or relief.
What's confirmed
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared Sunday's regional election results a 'disaster' for his center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, which saw its worst-ever performance in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
- Merz, who has faced mounting pressure and poor approval ratings, vowed to stay on and push through his coalition government's economic, tax, and welfare reforms. 'What needs to be done now requires backbone, steadfastness, and patience,' Merz told reporters at the CDU's Berlin headquarters.
- Merz's authority was already damaged by the CDU's defeat to the AfD in the September regional election in Saxony, which shocked many Germans who believed their country had developed an immunity to nationalism and assertions of racial superiority.
- Despite the loss, Merz said he would not resign and would continue to push his agenda. 'Trust in our country’s institutions is waning and is being actively undermined by radical parties on both the left and the right,' Merz added.
What's still developing
- "I would even go so far as to say that these reforms are the antidote to the authoritarian poison that, with the fascination of authoritarianism, is penetrating ever deeper into our society," Merz added.
- But its anti-immigration, German-first, and Russian-friendly agenda has found fertile ground in the country's former communist east.
- While his backers have argued that many of the problems the nation faces are inherited, Merz himself is deeply unpopular.
- In the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the party was initially projected to scrape through with its worst ever election result.
- Meanwhile the far-right AfD was on track to win the most votes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, but it is unlikely to govern as other parties refuse to work with it.
- "It's a disaster," Merz said following the release of exit poll data for the elections.
- In regional elections in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the AfD was projected to earn 38.2% of the vote, edging out the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), which received 35.4% of the vote, according to the German news program Tagesschau.
- Chancellor Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) received just 4.9% of votes, according to preliminary data, threatening to fall below the 5% threshold needed to enter the state parliament, as the full election results continue to roll in.
- As part of its party platform, the AfD has called for cutting assistance to Ukraine and resuming economic cooperation with Russia.
- Warehouse facilities caught fire and businesses and vehicles were damaged across Kyiv Oblast following a Russian drone attack on Sept. 20, regional authorities reported.
- A 2-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl were killed by a Russian drone strike the evening of Sept. 19, regional authorities said.
- The far-right, Kremlin-friendly Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was projected to take first place in regional elections in Germany on Sept.
Sources
- BBClink
- Kyivindependentlink
- Newserlink
- The Guardianlink
- NPRlink
- Independentlink
- Semissourianlink
- Middleeasteyelink
- 2Newslink
- Kyivpostlink
- Newspressnowlink
- Newsweeklink
- CBS Newslink
- Devdiscourselink
- WarpBeat — background on Sweden Votes in Tight Election as Far-Right Party Seeks Power link
- Wikipedia — background on Disaster link
- Times Now World — video link