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Merz stays as CDU falls below 5% in state vote
BBC News··5d ago
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called CDU defeats in Sunday's state elections a disaster but said he will remain in office. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the CDU fell short of the 5 percent threshold to enter parliament. Exit polls cited by CNN put Alternative for Germany on 38 percent there. In Berlin, the CDU was on course to finish behind Die Linke.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Merz said economic, tax and welfare reforms still have to come from his coalition.
- AfD is unlikely to govern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern because other parties refuse to work with it.
- The votes came a fortnight after CDU support halved in Saxony-Anhalt.
What's Happening
- Merz told reporters at CDU headquarters in Berlin that he will stay as party chair and chancellor.
- AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said the party had reached the mainstream of the population.
- BusinessLine reported AfD won 44 percent in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks earlier.
How Rare the CDU Result Is
- CNN reported the CDU's previous worst state result was 9 percent in Bremen in 1951.
- Some AfD branches are classed as right-wing extremist by domestic intelligence.
- Rumours of a mid-term chancellor swap have circulated after poor approval ratings.
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