German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has refused to resign following severe regional election defeats for his Christian Democratic Union party in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday.
Speaking on Monday after the vote, Merz described the election results as a disaster, but insisted that the reasons for the losses extended far beyond his leadership.
The chancellor currently holds a national approval rating of just above 10 percent after 18 months in government leading the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Merz warned that Germany and many other nations were experiencing a profound transformation of their party-political systems. He argued that the policy reforms promised by his administration could serve as an antidote to the poison of authoritarianism penetrating German society.
Stressing that the planned reforms must be implemented, Merz said he assumed responsibility to move the country forward, adding that the task required courage, firmness, and patience. He thanked the Social Democrats of the SPD, the junior partner in the governing coalition, for remaining in government rather than giving in to the temptation of forcing early federal elections, stating that both parties were determined to meet the historic challenge facing Germany.
Merz had already called journalists on Sunday evening to confirm he had no intention of resigning, shortly after initial projections indicated a historic defeat in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In that state, the CDU failed for the first time in its history to reach the 5 percent vote threshold required to enter the regional parliament, while also losing Berlin to The Left.
Pressure and Internal Support
During his Sunday address, Merz blamed attacks from radical left-wing and right-wing parties for causing trust in democratic institutions to disappear. He stated that there was no internal debate within the CDU regarding a leadership change, citing public support received last week from the party's regional barons to push away pressure until at least the next regional elections in April.
Rise of Extremes in Regional Votes
Sunday elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania confirmed a broader trend toward the growth of political extremes and the decline of Germany's traditional parties. In the capital, the former communists of The Left dethroned the CDU after a campaign focused on the cost of living and growing difficulties in accessing housing, topics that resonated with voters tired of the lack of answers from traditional parties.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the far-right Alternative for Germany again emerged as the most voted party following its historic victory two weeks ago in Saxony-Anhalt. However, the anti-immigration party is expected to be prevented from forming a government due to a cordon sanitaire by the remaining parties, which refuse to enter a government led by the far right. The most likely solution is a three-way coalition between the Social Democratic Party (SPD), The Left, and the Greens.
