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France 24
France 24
Politics
FRANCE 24

Five takeaways from Germany's regional elections after far-right gains

Friedrich Merz AFD Germany CDU Die Linke SPD Berlin ARD Mecklenburg Greens
Cover image: A voter marks his ballot for the state election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in Schwerin, Germany, September 20, 2026. © Jens Battner, AP

Sunday's elections in two German states resulted in the defeat of the country's ruling CDU, a result described as a “disaster” by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in the northeast of the country, the far-right AfD became the strongest party while the hard-left Die Linke led the polls in Berlin.

Elections in two German states on ⁠Sunday resulted in ​severe losses for the country's leading Christian Democrats, whose Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing pressure to keep the far-right Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) party at bay.

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