German Chancellor Merz vows to stay on despite 'disaster' in state election

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to remain in office despite exit polls indicating potential losses for his centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in two recent local elections. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a state in the north-eastern region, is expected to only narrowly secure a seat in parliament, while the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is poised to win the largest number of votes.

Merz described the outcome as a "disaster." In Berlin, the ruling CDU is also forecasted to fall short, losing to Die Linke (The Left). Merz faces increasing pressure due to low approval ratings and rumors of a potential mid-term replacement, known as a chancellor swap. The elections occurred two weeks after the CDU suffered a 50% drop in votes, following the AfD's significant victory in Saxony-Anhalt.

Polling closed at 18:00 local time (17:00 BST), with final results anticipated in the coming hours. According to ZDF, the AfD is projected to secure 38% of the vote in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, though it is unlikely to form a government as other parties are unwilling to collaborate with it. For Berlin, the CDU is predicted to earn 20% of the vote, trailing Die Linke by nearly 26%.

Prior to Sunday's elections, there had been considerable speculation in Germany that Merz might be replaced if his party's political performance did not improve. Earlier this week, the leaders of eight German states endorsed Merz, who has only been in office for 16 months. This is a breaking news story and will be updated.