AfD wins Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as Die Linke takes Berlin in German state votes

AfD leads in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

State elections across two German states on 20 September 2026 produced severe setbacks for Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his Christian Democratic Union (CDU). In the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where 1.3 million citizens were eligible to vote, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) placed first. Initial exit polls gave the AfD 37 percent of the vote compared to 35.5 percent for the Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by state Premier Manuela Schwesig. Later Sunday projections placed the AfD at 38 percent and the SPD at 36.5 percent. Schwesig had run her campaign under the slogan "Frau gegen Blau" to counter the AfD, but the party was unable to retain the top position. Both the CDU and Die Linke are projected to narrowly clear the five percent electoral threshold to enter the state parliament.

Die Linke wins Berlin mayoral contest

In Berlin, where 2.5 million voters were eligible to cast ballots, left-wing candidate Elif Eralp led Die Linke to victory over the CDU. Exit polls showed Die Linke winning between 24.5 and 26 percent of the vote, while the CDU secured 20 percent and the AfD finished in third place. The result strips the CDU of control over the Rotes Rathaus city hall, led by incumbent governing mayor Kai Wegner. The election in the German capital centered on rising living costs and the local housing sector, where 82 percent of all residences are rental units. Rents across Berlin have increased steadily since 2010, prompting Eralp to campaign on policies to regulate rent prices and protect cultural spaces from rising property costs. Eralp is positioned to become Berlin's first mayor with an immigrant background.

CDU suffers postwar low

Voter turnout across both state elections rose compared to previous regional votes, reflecting high voter participation during a Superwahljahr featuring five state ballots. For the CDU, the combined outcomes in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern represent the weakest regional election performances since the party was founded following the Second World War. Although the party avoided the worst-case scenario of falling below the five percent threshold in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, losing the Berlin mayoralty dealt a severe blow to the party's urban standing. Voters increasingly backed parties on the political flanks, expanding support for both Die Linke and the AfD at the expense of traditional centrist parties.

Growing pressure on Chancellor Merz

The dual defeats intensify political scrutiny on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose popularity has declined due to a sluggish national economy and ongoing difficulty containing the AfD's electoral gains. Commentators and coalition partners have questioned whether the federal government can maintain stability as regional support weakens. German weekly Die Zeit posed the question directly in its editorial coverage ahead of the vote:

Does he still have it under control?

Political figures across Germany had already begun assessing possible federal fallout, including whether Merz might face internal party challenges, resign, or attempt to manage a minority government if relations with the SPD deteriorate. For now, federal party spokespeople have sought to downplay the regional results as discussions turn to potential state-level coalition formations. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schwesig retains the mathematical possibility of forming a governing coalition with Die Linke despite the AfD's first-place finish.