From TIME · Miranda Jeyaretnam · · 2m
German far-right surges in state election disaster for Merz
The AfD wins its second state election this year as Chancellor Merz's approval plummets and mainstream parties refuse to work with the far right.
In brief
The AfD wins its second state election this year as Chancellor Merz's approval plummets and mainstream parties refuse to work with the far right. Germany's far-right AfD is winning state elections but faces a firewall that prevents it from governing, while Chancellor Merz's popularity has collapsed since taking…
Far-right AfD wins second state election
The Alternative for Germany party took 38.2% of votes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday, its second first-place finish in state elections this year. The result marks the strongest showing by a far-right party in Germany since World War II.
“We are the strongest force and have reached the mainstream of the population.”
Chancellor Merz calls results a disaster
The CDU, Chancellor Friedrich Merz's party, won just 4.9% in the state, its worst-ever result in any state election and below the 5% threshold to enter parliament. Merz acknowledged the blow but vowed to stay on and continue his reform agenda.
“We can't sugarcoat the results. It's a disaster.”
AfD campaigns on immigration and Ukraine
The AfD ran on deporting more migrants, creating state border police, and halting asylum intake. The party also promised to stop wind power development and withdraw from public broadcasting treaties.
Voters cite Ukraine aid frustration
About 45,000 former SPD voters switched to the AfD, citing dissatisfaction with federal government policies and opposition to military support for Ukraine. The AfD appealed to voters by campaigning to reopen Russian gas pipelines damaged in 2022.
Merz's approval has collapsed
The Chancellor's approval rating fell from 42% in July 2025 to just 13% by early September. The CDU-CSU alliance dropped from 30% support to 21% over the same period.
Mainstream parties maintain firewall
Despite the AfD's election wins, it cannot govern without support from other parties. The SPD, Greens, and Die Linke have all rejected cooperation with the AfD, maintaining a united firewall against the far right.
AfD gains across Germany accelerate
The AfD more than doubled its vote share in Saxony-Anhalt to 43.8% and increased its Berlin support from 9.1% to 16.3%. The party now leads national opinion polls with nearly 30% support.
Merz pledges to push forward
The Chancellor said his reform agenda is the antidote to authoritarianism and requires backbone and steadfastness. CDU leaders from eight states publicly backed Merz and called for party unity.
“What needs to be done now requires backbone, steadfastness, and patience.”
Here's the gist
Germany's far-right AfD is winning state elections but faces a firewall that prevents it from governing, while Chancellor Merz's popularity has collapsed since taking office.
