German state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania challenge Chancellor Merz

Voting underway in Berlin and the northeast

Voters across Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania cast ballots on 20 September 2026 in two state elections that test the standing of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, voter turnout reached 40.7% by 14:00, surpassing the participation rate recorded at the same hour in 2021. Berlin also recorded higher midday turnout than in its previous regional vote. The double election follows the state vote in Saxony-Anhalt earlier in September, where Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 43.8% of ballots while the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) took 17.2%. Nationally, the CDU/CSU union stands at 18% in federal preference surveys, while Merz holds an approval rating of 10%.

The mayoral battle in the capital

In Berlin, the CDU is fielding 46-year-old Finance Senator Stefan Evers to defend control of the Rotes Rathaus city hall. Evers became the lead candidate after Governing Mayor Kai Wegner formally renounced a re-election bid on 10 July 2026. Wegner faced sustained criticism for playing tennis during the initial hours of a five-day blackout in January 2026, which followed infrastructure sabotage by the left-wing extremist Vulkangruppe during the coldest winter since 2010. The mayoral race features Steffen Krach for the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Werner Graf for the Greens, Kristin Brinker for the AfD, and Elif Eralp for Die Linke. Recent polling from Forschungsgruppe Wahlen places Die Linke ahead at 22%, followed by the CDU at 20%, the AfD at 18%, the Greens at 15%, the SPD at 12%, and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) at 4%. Die Linke built support across the capital around tenant organizing against surging rent prices and pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Head-to-head contest in Schwerin

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the state contest centers on a tight race between the SPD and the AfD. Pre-election surveys measure both parties near 37%, with the SPD polling between 35% and 37% and the AfD between 37% and 38%. Incumbent Minister-President Manuela Schwesig of the SPD aims to secure enough seats with Die Linke and the Greens to form a governing majority without including conservative lawmakers. The CDU polls between 6% and 7% in the state, positioning the party dangerously close to the 5% electoral threshold required to enter the state parliament in Schwerin. Missing that threshold would eliminate the CDU from the regional legislature entirely.

Coalition stability and federal leadership

The regional ballots carry direct consequences for the federal government that Merz has led since taking office in 2025. Merz has structured his federal agenda around reviving the German economy, rearming the military against Russian security threats, and tightening controls on irregular immigration. With conservative party members alarmed by regional declines, Merz dismissed suggestions of stepping down before completing his four-year mandate.

Surrender is not an option for me.

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, who leads the party alongside Tino Chrupalla, declared that Merz would soon deliver his final speech as chancellor if regional losses continue.