Merz vows to keep coalition together for Germany's 'democratic future'
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is under mounting pressure to keep his ruling coalition together after his Christian Democratic Unionist (CDU) party suffered resounding defeats in two state elections. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made significant gains, particularly in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the CDU failed to enter the state parliament.
Why it matters
The election results signal a significant shift in German politics, with rising support for far-right parties, which could impact the stability of the current government, the future political landscape of Germany, and its role within the European Union.
Image source, Getty Images By Alys Davies Published 11 minutes ago German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he will keep his ruling coalition together for the sake of his country's "democratic future", following resounding defeats for his party in two state elections.
"We are determined to live up to the historic challenges our country is facing," Merz said, referring to the coalition between his Christian Democratic Unionist (CDU) party and the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Merz's position has come under mounting pressure after Sunday's election results. In the north-eastern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won the most votes, with the CDU failing to reach the threshold to even enter the state parliament.
Meanwhile in Berlin, the CDU came second to the hard-left Die Linke party, with the AfD also making significant gains.
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