German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he will press ahead with reforms after his CDU party suffers major setbacks in two state elections, according to multiple outlets. Exit polls from public broadcaster ARD indicate the CDU performs far below its usual level, including what is described as a historic result in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, ARD exit polls project the CDU at around the 5% mark, with reporting varying slightly by outlet—PBS cites 5%, while Euronews and the Financial Times report figures just above the parliamentary threshold. Several outlets describe it as the party’s worst result there since World War II. In Berlin, FRANCE 24 characterizes the day’s outcomes as a “disaster,” while Euronews reports the CDU trails the Left party in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, projected at 20% versus the Left at about 24.5%.
Following the results, Merz vows to continue with reforms despite the loss. The coverage differs mainly in emphasis—some stress the scale of the defeat and historical nature of the CDU’s Mecklenburg-Vorpommern showing, while others focus on whether the CDU clears the threshold needed for parliamentary representation and what comes next for Merz’s reform agenda.
