GERMANY — Merz: Reforms Will Continue Despite Electoral Setbacks

BERLIN, September 20 /ATA-AFP/ – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has suffered another political blow following regional elections in Berlin and the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where preliminary results point to losses for his CDU party.

In Berlin, exit polls put the left-wing Die Linke ahead of Merz’s CDU. Meanwhile, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to finish first, narrowly ahead of the Social Democrats (SPD).

The results pose a fresh challenge for Chancellor Merz, who has been in office for around 16 months.

The regional votes come at a time when the German government faces political pressure and debate over the country’s direction.

Merz himself described the CDU’s result as a “disaster”, acknowledging the party’s difficulties in the latest elections.

The chancellor nevertheless declared he would press ahead with his reform agenda despite the electoral setbacks.

“We will keep moving forward,” was Merz’s message, as he aims to keep the focus on the government’s programme and the implementation of promised reforms.

The election results have intensified attention on the chancellor’s political future and the CDU’s ability to retain voter support.

For now, however, there has been no announcement of Merz’s resignation.

The AfD’s success in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Berlin results are expected to fuel fresh debate about the political balance in Germany, as traditional parties face growing competition from forces on the right and the left.