Exit polls after the polls closed in two German regions on Sunday show a deep loss for the CDU, while the far-right AfD is strengthening its position in the east of the country. In Berlin, the left is in the lead.
In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the AfD is the frontrunner with around 37% of the vote, according to an exit poll by public broadcaster ARD. The SPD's Social Democrats are close behind with 35.5%. Chancellor Merz's CDU is expected to get just 5.5%, its weakest result in a regional election since 1949. With the electoral threshold of 5%, it remains to be seen whether the CDU will secure seats in the state parliament.
The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern result is particularly significant for the AfD, which has seen strong growth in recent elections in the eastern states.
However, even if the AfD ends up as the leading force, other parties have stated that they will not form a coalition with it, which makes its ability to take over the state government uncertain.
In the Berlin elections, the left-wing "Die Linke" comes out on top with around 24.5%, while the CDU ranks second with around 20%, according to the ARD exit poll.
The results of the two elections are being closely followed in Berlin, as they are also considered an important test for the federal government and the leadership of the CDU under Friedrich Merz.
For Chancellor Merz, the results come at a time when the AfD is consolidating support in some areas of Germany, while the CDU is facing increased political pressure after poor results in regional elections. /LAPSI.al
