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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to remain in office despite exit polls indicating damaging defeats for his centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in two state elections, according to the BBC.
In the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the CDU was projected to narrowly clear the threshold for parliamentary representation, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was expected to emerge as the strongest party. Merz described the projected result as “a disaster”.
The CDU was also projected to lose ground in Berlin, where Die Linke (The Left) was expected to finish ahead of the governing party.
AfD projected to lead in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
According to public broadcaster ZDF, the AfD was projected to win 38% of the vote in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The party is unlikely to form a state government because other parties have ruled out working with it.
In Berlin, ZDF put the CDU on 20% when polling stations closed, behind Die Linke at nearly 26%.
Pressure mounts on German chancellor
Merz is facing growing pressure because of low approval ratings and speculation that he could be replaced before the end of his term in a so-called chancellor swap.
The elections were held two weeks after the CDU saw its support halved in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD secured a major victory. Polling stations in both states closed at 18:00 local time (17:00 BST), with final results expected later.
Earlier this week, the leaders of eight German states expressed support for Merz, who has been chancellor for 16 months.
