Story perspectives

Merz calls election losses a “disaster” as AfD leads

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 10:47 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Chancellor Friedrich Merz saw the CDU suffer heavy defeats in two state elections.
The far-right AfD topped Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on September 17, 2026.
Die Linke won the most votes in Berlin, beating the CDU.
Merz called the outcome a “disaster” and vowed to stay in power.
The AfD now leads national polls after nearly winning an absolute majority in Saxony-Anhalt.

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Story summary

Chancellor Friedrich Merz saw the CDU suffer heavy defeats in two state elections.
The far-right AfD topped Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on September 17, 2026.
Die Linke won the most votes in Berlin, beating the CDU.
Merz called the outcome a “disaster” and vowed to stay in power.
The AfD now leads national polls after nearly winning an absolute majority in Saxony-Anhalt.