Germany’s far-right AfD makes strong gains in two state elections

Germany's ‌AfD party on Sunday was set to win 37% in ⁠the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, ahead of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) on 35.5% and far ‌in front of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives, who got 5.5% and barely ⁠crossed the threshold to enter the state parliament, according to exit polls on ARD public television.

But the far-right ​party is unlikely to govern as the ‌other main parties rule out working with it.

In another election in the capital Berlin that ​also took place on Sunday, the far-left Linke party was ​on 24.5%, while Merz's conservatives were on 20% ​and the AfD also gained in strength, hitting 16%.

Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is projected to fall to 5.5% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a largely rural state in Germany's formerly communist east. That would be its worst result there since World War II. 

In a televised address after the polls closed at 6pm local time, Merz said the ​election ‌in ⁠Mecklenburg-Western ‌Pomerania was a "disaster" for ​his ‌party and vowed to ‌accelerate reforms ​as CDU party leader and ​chancellor ​to ​bring Germany forward.

"The reforms have to come," he said. "I am taking on this responsibility, because I want to move our country forward."

In Berlin, the CDU is projected to come in second with 20%, behind the Left party at 24.5%, according to the exit poll by public broadcaster ARD. 

The anti-migration, Russia-friendly Alternative for Germany party made significant gains in both elections Sunday. The vote came two weeks after AfD finished just short of a majority in the small eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, and has its best chance yet of forming the country's first far-right regional government since World War II.

Merz's authority was severely damaged by his party's stinging defeat in the Sept. 6 election by AfD — a result that shocked many Germans who had believed their country had developed an immunity to nationalism and assertions of racial superiority after confronting the horrors of its Nazi past through education and laws to outlaw persecution.

Merz, 70, became Germany's leader 16 months ago with promises to turn around an economy that has barely grown in years, but has failed to lift a sullen national mood and has himself become deeply unpopular.

The strong showing of AfD in the Saxony-Anhalt election has further weakened the chancellor's standing on the national level as well, and in the past two weeks there have been calls even from within his own party to replace him as chancellor. No top-level allies have called publicly for his departure, and many have warned against “personnel debates.” 

Apparently anticipating a tough postelection period, Merz abandoned a planned trip to New York next week to attend the UN General Assembly. Despite the strong headwinds, he has repeatedly said that he's determined to stay on and finish his term as chancellor.

(FRANCE 24 with AP and Reuters)