AfD wins in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania; Die Linke leads in Berlin — CDU suffers big losses

State elections took place on Sunday in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. The two contests produced divergent winners and reinforced political polarization in different parts of the country.

What happened in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Germany (AfD) won the most votes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The result left the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) below the five percent threshold, which means the CDU will not be represented in the state parliament following this election. Voting in Germany is by secret ballot.

In Berlin the left-wing Die Linke finished first, ahead of the CDU. The AfD came in third. Die Linke's lead in the capital marks a strong performance for the party in an urban state where it now enjoys the most votes.

At federal level, Germany's domestic intelligence service classifies the AfD as a suspected right-wing extremist organisation. In several federal states that classification has been confirmed by the relevant authorities. That federal classification is part of the background to how parties and officials react to the AfD's electoral successes.

Despite the CDU's setbacks in both states, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated he intends to remain in office and proceed with the reform agenda pursued by the CDU/SPD federal government. Merz said in Berlin: "I want to move our country forward. The reforms must go ahead."

The results change political arithmetic at the state level in both places. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will enter a phase where the AfD's lead and the absence of CDU representation alter coalition possibilities and opposition configurations in the state parliament. Berlin's result gives Die Linke a strong mandate relative to other parties, but it will still need allies to govern.

Two state votes produced clear winners on opposite ends of the political spectrum and sharp losses for the CDU. The AfD's success in the northeast and Die Linke's win in Berlin will both shape regional politics and feed into national debates about party strategy, extremism classifications, and the federal government's reform agenda.