# German election humiliation puts Merz on borrowed time

> Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces CDU collapse after disastrous state election results.
- Title: German election humiliation puts Merz on borrowed time
- Summary: Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces CDU collapse after disastrous state election results. German chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU party suffered its worst state…
- Keywords: germany, friedrich merz, cdu, afd, state elections, mecklenburg-western pomerania, berlin, chancellor, political unrest, far right, news, world
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/21/german-state-election-humiliation-friedrich-merz-borrowed-time-cdu-unrest-grows
- Published: 2026-09-21T10:04:46+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: germany, friedrich merz, cdu, afd, state elections, mecklenburg-western pomerania, berlin, chancellor, political unrest, far right, news, world
## Chancellor acknowledges disaster
Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the state election results a disaster before the full scale of his party's collapse became clear.

> disaster
## CDU suffers worst state election loss
CDU scored its worst-ever result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with just 4.9% of the vote, crashing out of regional parliament for first time since postwar history.

> 4.9%
## AfD gains significant support
Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) won 38% of votes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania against Social Democrats' 35.5%.

> 38%
## Berlin CDU faces city hall loss
CDU will likely lose Berlin city hall after coalition negotiations with leftwing Linke party that demands corporate landlord expropriation.

> Berlin city hall
## Merz's political survival at risk
Berenberg bank chief economist says Merz is fighting for political survival despite vows to stay on for economic reforms.

> fighting for his political survival
## Merz cancels UN trip
Merz cancelled planned UN speech in New York to focus on CDU leadership crisis after state election results.

> UN general assembly
## Key takeaway

German chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU party suffered its worst state election loss with 4.9% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, putting him on borrowed time as far-right AfD gains momentum.