German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to keep his ruling coalition in power despite suffering devastating losses in regional elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Merz's Christian Democratic Union plummeted to 4.9 percent of the vote, failing to reach the five percent threshold required to enter the state parliament. The far-right Alternative for Germany emerged as the leading party in the northeastern state with more than 38 percent of ballots cast. In the federal capital of Berlin, the left-wing Die Linke party captured first place, leaving the Christian Democrats trailing in second.
Speaking shortly after preliminary results were announced, Merz described the electoral outcome as a disaster but insisted that his planned economic and fiscal reforms must continue. The twin defeats have heightened political instability within the federal coalition and prompted calls from opposition leaders for snap national elections.