BERLIN/SCHWERIN: The Alternative for Germany (AfD) took first place in state elections in northeastern Germany on Sunday, exit polls showed, delivering a “disaster” for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who vowed to push ahead with his reform agenda.

The AfD was set to win 37 percent in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, ahead of the centre-left Social Democrats on 35.5pc and far in front of Merz’s conservatives, who got 5.5pc and barely crossed the threshold to enter the state parliament, according to exit polls on ARD public television.

But the far-right party is unlikely to govern as the other main parties rule out working with it. If confirmed, Sunday’s result would be the worst in any state election for Merz’s party since 1949. It would also be another first-place finish at state level in a month for the AfD party, which is shunned by mainstream parties but is topping national opinion polls.

“It’s a disaster,” Merz said in televised remarks after the exit polls were published, but signalled that he would fight on as chancellor after speculation that a bad result could prompt him to resign.

Far-left Elif Eralp wins Berlin vote on anti-AfD, pro-poor campaign

In another election in the capital Berlin that also took place on Sunday, the far-left Linke party was on 24.5pc, while Merz’s conservatives were on 20pc and the AfD also gained in strength, hitting 16pc.

Sunday’s results may not prove a knock-out blow for Merz, who last week received backing from eight conservative state premiers. But his low approval ratings, unpopular reforms and the triumph of the AfD in an earlier state election in Saxony-Anhalt have left his future in the balance. Merz has called a party meeting for Sunday to discuss the way forward.

The elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a largely rural state in the formerly communist east, and the capital Berlin follow the Sept 6 election in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD came close to the rare feat of winning an absolute majority.

Elections in the two states would not usually draw much interest outside Germany, but the AfD’s success in Saxony-Anhalt, which it sees as the first step towards winning federal elections due in 2029, has sent shock waves through Europe.

In just over a decade, the party, which wants to take tough action to deport foreigners with no right to stay in Germany, restore energy ties with Russia and quit the euro, has transformed itself from a fringe eurosceptic movement to the country’s most popular party.

The exit polls underscore the advances the AfD has made in recent years and raise fresh questions over the “firewall” strategy, under which the other main parties refuse to enter coalition agreements with it.

Merz shaken by far-right and far-left gains

The far right and far left had more success in German state elections on Sunday, dealing yet another blow to embattled Chancellor Friedrich Merz — who has vowed to stay the course.

In Berlin, the far-left Die Linke party with 24.5-26pc looked set to easily defeat the CDU, which is currently running the coalition government and which scored 20pc, according to exit polls.

Merz — who had called a crisis meeting of his party leadership in anticipation of a poor result — quickly stepped before the cameras and vowed to stay the course, following recent speculation he may soon be ousted by his party. “The reforms have to come,” 70-year-old Merz said. “I am taking on this responsibility because I want to move our country forward.” The AfD also won 16pc in Berlin, although it looked set to remain shut out of power in both states because of a “firewall” of non-cooperation agreed by other major parties.

Poor approval ratings

Merz — with record low personal approval ratings after 16 months in office — has been fighting off rumours he may be ousted by his centre-right CDU/CSU bloc.

On election night, he was huddling in a crisis meeting of the CDU party leadership to discuss the outcome of the regional polls. The chancellor has also cleared his calendar for the following days and skipped a trip to the UN General Assembly to deal with potential aftershocks from the votes.

The latest polls came two weeks after the far-right, pro-Trump and Moscow-friendly AfD dealt a stunning defeat to the CDU in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Sunday’s Berlin election was a historic first for Die Linke, which promises drastic steps to solve a housing crisis in the German capital, including expropriating flats held by large corporate landlords.

A CDU defeat there, if confirmed in final results, is another black eye for Merz — especially at the hands of its nemesis Die Linke, which opposes big business, rejects military aid for Ukraine and wants Germany to exit Nato.

Call for ‘stability’

When Merz took office in May last year, he vowed to reboot a flagging economy, rebuild the military to deter Russia, and reduce irregular immigration to soothe voters’ fears and lure them away from the AfD. But the AfD now leads nationwide polls and Merz’s personal approval ratings hover just above 10 percent, not helped by his occasionally blunt and abrasive comments.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2026