Merz Vows to Stay After Calling CDU's Election a 'Disaster'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he will remain in office despite exit polls showing his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffering damaging losses in two state elections held Sunday, according to BBC News. Here is a timeline of the vote and its immediate aftermath.

What happened in Sunday's elections?

18:00 local time, September 20 — Polls closed in the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and in Berlin, per BBC News. Public broadcasters ZDF and ARD released exit polls shortly after, with a final result expected later that night or Monday morning.

Hours after polls closed — In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the CDU was initially projected to scrape into the state parliament with its worst-ever result there. A few hours later, updated figures showed the party dipping below the 5% threshold required to hold any seats at all, BBC News reported.

Why are these results a 'disaster' for Merz's CDU?

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — The CDU's projected fall below the 5% entry threshold would mean no representation in the state parliament, a result Merz himself described as "a disaster" for his party, according to BBC News.

Berlin — In the capital, the ruling CDU was expected to be beaten by Die Linke (The Left), the broadcast exit polls showed. BBC's Berlin correspondent described a muted scene at the CDU's election-night gathering, writing that "there were no cheers or celebration" as projected results appeared on screen, and that the party "knows it's in trouble."

How did the AfD perform, and can it govern?

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern exit poll — ZDF and ARD put the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead with a projected 38% of the vote, followed by the center-left SPD at 36%, according to BBC News. That would make the AfD the largest single party in the state, though BBC News notes it is unlikely to govern because other parties refuse to work with it.

AfD reaction — National co-leader Alice Weidel said Sunday: "We are the strongest force and have reached the mainstream of the population," per BBC News.

Context on the AfD — BBC News reports some branches of the AfD are classified as right-wing extremist by German domestic intelligence, a designation the party rejects. Its anti-immigration, "German-first," and Russia-friendly positions have drawn support in the former communist east, according to the report.

What is Merz's response?

Sunday evening, CDU headquarters, Berlin — Merz told reporters he intends to press ahead with his coalition government's economic, tax, and welfare reform package regardless of the results. "The reforms have to come," he said, according to BBC News. "I am taking on this responsibility, because I want to move our country forward."

Same remarks — Merz added: "What needs to be done now requires backbone, steadfastness and patience. I will demonstrate this as CDU party chairman and, above all, as chancellor of our country." He went further, framing the reforms as a defense against political extremism: "I would even go so far as to say that these reforms are the antidote to the authoritarian poison that, with the fascination of authoritarianism, is penetrating ever deeper into our society," he said, per BBC News.

How does this connect to the Saxony-Anhalt vote two weeks earlier?

Roughly September 6, 2026 — BBC News reports that Sunday's vote came a fortnight after the CDU saw its vote share halved in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD won a major victory. Merz's comments Sunday echoed remarks he made after that earlier defeat, according to the report, suggesting a pattern of eroding CDU support across multiple states rather than an isolated setback.

What happens next?

Sunday night into Monday, September 21 — BBC News reports a final, certified result was expected later Sunday night or Monday morning, which would confirm whether the CDU's Mecklenburg-Vorpommern total holds below the 5% threshold and whether Die Linke's Berlin lead survives full counting.

Ongoing — BBC News reports Merz faces mounting pressure amid poor approval ratings and rumors that he could be replaced mid-term in what has been described as a "chancellor swap." His public position, as of Sunday's remarks, is that he will remain in the post and continue pursuing the coalition's reform agenda regardless of the state-level results.