ANALYSIS | Merz faces pressure after AfD’s recent electoral wins

On September 20, 2026, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a major mandate in yet another State election in Germany , this time in the coastal province of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, also a former East German region. It won 38.2% of the vote. This is the second major victory for the AfD after winning the State elections in Saxony-Anhalt earlier this month.

However, the mandate in both States is not enough for the AfD to form a government on its own. The strategy of ‘ Brandmauer ’, or a firewall against the AfD, adopted by major political parties to keep the far-right party out of power, makes the question of a coalition government very tentative.