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Merz Vows Reforms After CDU's Historic Defeat
Confirmed
In Short: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to push ahead with reforms after his party suffered a historic defeat in two state elections.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced a major electoral setback on Sunday, with his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party receiving just 5% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, its lowest result since World War II.
Merz acknowledged the result as a 'disaster' for his party, but pledged to accelerate reforms to address Germany's economic and political challenges.
In a statement shortly after the exit polls were announced on public television, Merz said, 'What needs to be done now requires backbone, steadfastness, and patience.
Merz's authority was already damaged by the CDU's defeat to AfD in the September Berlin state election, which shocked many Germans who believed their country had developed an immunity to nationalism and assertions of racial superiority.
European politicians are voicing concern over the AfD's historic victory, warning that the result could have implications beyond Germany and reflects the growing strength of populist and far-right forces across Europe.
Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was 'deeply shocked' by the result, describing it as 'seismic... not just in the country but also in my own political party and I take that very seriously.
Merz added that the country needed 'profound reforms' and the CDU needed to 'reach people at an emotional level.
What's confirmed
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrives for the Cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Sept.
- Social Democratic Party Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the party's top candidate for the upcoming state election Manuela Schwesig poses in front of an election campaign poster reading "The Woman Against Blue", in Schwerin, Germany, Monday, Sept.
- A man casts his vote at a polling station during the Berlin state election in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Sept.
- Voters sit at a voting booth in Schwerin, Germany, Sunday, Sept.
- Russian citizen line up to cast their vote for Russian parliament elections at the Russian embassy in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Sept.
- Alice Weidel (AfD), the party's federal chairwoman, reacts to the projections for the State Parliament election at the AfD election party in Berlin, Sunday, Sept.
- Amira Mohamed Ali, right, reactss to the first projections at the BSW election party in Schwerin, Germany, Sunday, Sept.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a major electoral setback in two state elections, including a historic defeat for his party.
- Exit polls show Merz's Christian Democratic Union received just 5% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, its lowest result since World War II.
What's still developing
- German Chancellor Merz vows to press ahead with reforms after calling CDU’s historic state election defeat a 'disaster.' BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Merz vows to press ahead with reforms after calling CDU’s historic state election defeat a 'disaster.' Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
- He argued that Germany’s economic and political problems made difficult and potentially unpopular reforms more urgent, not less, and pledged to press ahead.
- The anti-migration, Russia-friendly Alternative for Germany (AfD) party made significant gains Sunday.
- Merz acknowledged his party's result as a “disaster” but struck a defiant note, rejecting any retreat from his government’s reform agenda.
- Merz, 70, became Germany’s leader 16 months ago with promises to turn around an economy that has barely grown in years, but has failed to lift a sullen national mood and has himself become deeply unpopular.
- The AfD fell just short of an outright majority, but its result marks its strongest-ever performance in a German regional election.
- The AfD is already Germany's most popular party at the national level and is seeking to secure a foothold for advancing its agenda, which includes heavy restrictions on immigration, restoring ties with Russia, cutting support to Ukraine and quitting the euro.
- His comments were directed in particular at members of Poland's opposition who had welcomed the German party's result.
- Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD's leader in Saxony-Anhalt, says the result is a "clear mandate to govern" The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is "very, very close" to taking power in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, its deputy parliamentary leader has told the BBC, after a historic victory in elections there.
- While most German political parties refuse to work with the AfD, Beatrix von Storch called for its opponents to enter talks and said: "You cannot say, I do not accept the vote of the people".
- The state's defeated premier, the CDU's Sven Schulze, also said the mandate to govern Saxony-Anhalt "now lies with the AfD".