Merz calls election defeat a severe blow but rules out resignation

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday described his conservative Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU) defeat in regional elections as “a severe blow”, while ruling out the possibility of resigning.

Speaking at the CDU headquarters in Berlin after a meeting of the party leadership, Merz said it was the first time the party had failed to clear the 5% threshold in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Reuters reported that he said the results extended beyond his personal leadership.

“That is a severe blow,” Merz said. “However, the election results and the reasons behind them extend far beyond my person. We are witnessing a profound transformation of the political system in Germany as well as in many other countries.”

Far-right and left-wing parties gain ground

Merz said the elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin demonstrated the growing influence of far-right and left-wing populist parties. He described the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Left Party as “destructive forces”.

The CDU leader said his party would examine the results in the coming days and draw conclusions from the outcome. He also thanked the Social Democrats (SPD), the CDU’s coalition partner at federal level, for confirming that it would remain in government after Sunday’s elections.

“We want to advance the reform process, yet we know we owe people answers regarding their concerns and fears,” Merz said, citing worries about employment, families, retirement income and healthcare.

“It is the historic task of the coalition government here in Berlin — and of the political center as a whole — to prepare our country for the years ahead on these issues,” he added.

CDU suffers historic defeat in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

The CDU suffered its worst-ever result in Sunday’s Mecklenburg-Vorpommern election. The AfD won 38.2% of the vote, while the SPD secured 35.5%.

The CDU received 4.9% and failed to enter the state parliament for the first time in its history.

In Berlin, the Left Party finished first with 25.7%, followed by the CDU on 18.8% and the AfD on 16.3%.