German chancellor Merz clings to office after historic election defeat

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held onto power on Monday after his conservative party suffered its worst local election defeat in postwar Germany, amid divisions within the ruling coalition over his unpopular reform agenda.

Merz described Sunday’s loss in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as a “disaster,” after his party failed for the first time to clear the five percent threshold needed to enter the state parliament. The region was once a stronghold of former Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party topped the poll, though it fell short of an outright majority. This marks the second time in a month that the AfD has led in a local election, which the party sees as momentum toward gaining national power.

Merz’s party also lost ground in a second vote held in Berlin, where the far-left party could enter government as part of a coalition after winning a majority of seats. The leftist party is the successor to the former East German communist party.

While Sunday’s results may not be a fatal blow for Merz, his declining support and the rise of the AfD have put his political future in jeopardy.