Far-Left Wins Berlin State Election While Far-Right AfD Secures Victory in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Germany's political landscape faced a dramatic upheaval on Sunday, September 20, 2026, as approximately 3.8 million voters across two states headed to the polls. According to preliminary results released by election authorities, the far-left party Die Linke secured first place in the Berlin state election, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won the most votes in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The simultaneous state ballots arrived amid mounting political pressure on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Following just 16 months in power, Merz has faced plunging approval ratings near 14 percent as he struggles to advance promised economic and social welfare reforms alongside his centre-left coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD).

In Berlin, where roughly 2.5 million people were eligible to vote, the state election authority reported early Monday that Die Linke claimed 25.7 percent of the vote. The result placed the far-left party comfortably ahead of Chancellor Merz’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), which finished second with 18.8 percent, though some officials noted the CDU performed better in the capital than elsewhere. Despite its first-place finish, Die Linke will need to form a coalition with political allies to take control of the mayor’s office in the German capital for the first time since reunification in 1990.

The AfD finished third in Berlin with 16.3 percent of the vote, followed by the Greens with 14.3 percent. Meanwhile, the centre-left SPD suffered its worst-ever result in a Berlin state election, capturing just 12.1 percent.

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, nearly 1.3 million eligible voters participated in a contest defined by a fierce battle between the SPD and the surging AfD. The election commission reported that the AfD secured its second state victory in just two weeks, winning approximately 38.2 percent of the vote under the leadership of its lead candidate, former radio presenter Leif-Erik Holm. The SPD finished second with 35.5 percent, led by popular state premier Manuela Schwesig.

Chancellor Merz’s conservative party suffered a historic defeat in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, securing just 4.9 percent of the vote according to preliminary figures. The tally left the CDU narrowly short of the 5 percent threshold required to win seats in the state legislature, marking the party's worst showing in its 81-year history for any state election following Germany's post-World War II formation.

Speaking at a crisis meeting of the CDU leadership at the party's Berlin headquarters, a 70-year-old Merz described the result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as a "disaster." However, he rejected speculation that he might step down or be ousted by his party, telling reporters that he intends to remain in office. “What needs to be done now requires backbone, steadfastness, and patience,” Merz said. “The reforms have to come. I am taking on this responsibility because I want to move our country forward.”

The outcome drew sharp reactions from political opponents. Tino Chrupalla, the national co-leader of the AfD, called on the chancellor to resign, criticizing Merz's response as feeble and arguing that the leadership should face direct consequences for the party's losses. In contrast, Elif Eralp, Die Linke’s lead candidate in Berlin and the daughter of Turkish immigrants, celebrated her party's triumph over the anti-immigration AfD, declaring that "love and justice have triumphed over hatred" in the capital.

The regional elections followed a significant defeat for the CDU two weeks prior in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD delivered a major shock to the established political system. Florian Hartleb, a professor of international relations at Modul University in Vienna and an expert on far-right movements, noted that the AfD has historically been excluded from power by mainstream parties attempting every available political countermeasure. According to Hartleb, those efforts have failed to stem the party's momentum amid growing voter dissatisfaction over migration, the economy, and social inequality.

While regional elections typically attract limited international attention, the AfD's consecutive regional successes—viewed by the party as stepping stones toward federal elections scheduled for 2029—have generated widespread concern across Europe. As questions persist regarding whether Chancellor Merz can retain the backing of his party members and successfully steer his administration forward, political observers note that while the AfD dominates parts of the former East Germany, its electoral strength remains more limited in western Germany, where the majority of the national population resides.