German state votes squeeze the centre as AfD leads in northeast and Left wins Berlin

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Reuters cited ARD projections putting the AfD at about 38.3%, the Social Democrats at 35.4% and the CDU at 4.9%, close to the 5% threshold for entering the state parliament. AP later cited projections of about 37.9% for the AfD and 4.9% for the CDU; the small differences reflect continuing counts.

In the city-state of Berlin, Reuters reported the Left at about 25.3%, the CDU at 19% and the AfD at 16.3%. The Left finished first but lacks an outright majority, so whether its candidate becomes mayor depends on coalition talks involving parties such as the Social Democrats and Greens.

Reuters described the CDU result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as among its worst state-election performances since 1949. Merz called the outcome a disaster but said he would continue tax, pension, healthcare and economic reforms; he did not announce his resignation.

The AfD continues to expand support in eastern states, but Germany's other major parties still refuse to form coalitions with it. The first-place party may therefore remain outside government, with seat allocation and coalition negotiations determining who governs.

N Globe compared independent Reuters and Associated Press reports. They agree on the core outcome but give slightly different projected percentages. This report therefore uses approximate figures and treats certified totals and coalition outcomes as developing details.

Verification status: developing. News value: B-level important news. Origin region: Europe (Germany). Primary section: Politics. Related regions: Europe and World. Source publication date: September 20, 2026. Report date: September 21, 2026 UTC.