After far-right win, Germany’s Merz nervously faces new state polls
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz holds a press conference in Berlin on Tuesday. | REUTERS
Sep 17, 2026
Berlin – Two German state elections Sunday could deal a double blow to embattled Chancellor Friedrich Merz, two weeks after his party suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of the far-right AfD.
Tight races for power — each with their own unique electoral dynamics — are expected in the city-state of Berlin and the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The Alternative for Germany is expected to make strong gains in both, a fortnight after it trounced Merz’s center-right CDU by a margin of almost 44 to 17% in the ex-communist eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
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