Germany’s Merz vows to stay on course despite new election defeats

Germany's beleaguered Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to remain committed to his political course following fresh election defeats in two states. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and far-left Die Linke parties claimed victories in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin respectively, with the latter's leader celebrating "love and justice" over "hatred."

Merz, who called for a crisis meeting in anticipation of poor results, emphasized the need for "backbone, steadfastness and patience," vowing to demonstrate these qualities as both CDU party chairman and Germany's chancellor. The centre-right CDU suffered a record low in personal approval ratings, and Merz acknowledged that trust in the nation's institutions was waning, being actively undermined by radical parties on both the left and right.

The latest election results come two weeks after the AfD suffered a similar setback in Saxony-Anhalt, further fragmenting the political landscape and making it harder to escape stagnation.