The Alternative for Germany (AfD) appears to be taking first place in the vote in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while in Berlin, the left-wing party Die Linke (The Left) is recording an impressive surge and emerging as the leading political force, according to initial estimates of the election results following the polls’ closing.
More specifically, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the AfD is projected, according to initial estimates, 37%, narrowly edging out the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), which stands at 35.5%. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is seeing a significant decline, with projections placing it at 5.5%, which is just above the threshold for entering the state parliament. This is its worst result since the CDU’s reunification. Next are the Greens with 5.5% (-0.8) and the Sara Wagenknecht Alliance with 5%.
The AfD’s performance in this state confirms the momentum the German right-wing party has gained in recent years, particularly in the eastern states, where its political influence has grown significantly.
Upset in Berlin as the Left Takes the Lead
In Germany’s capital, the picture is different, with Die Linke taking first place and emerging as the largest political force with 24.5%. The party recorded a 12.3 percentage point increase compared to the previous election, a development that significantly reshapes Berlin’s political landscape.
The CDU is relegated to second place with 20%, marking a drop of 8.2 percentage points, while the AfD ranks third with 16%, up 6.9 percentage points. Next comes the Social Democratic Party (SPD) with 12% (-6.4), the Greens with 15% (-3.4), and the Sara Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) with 5%.
The final results are expected to determine the new balance of power in the two states, but early projections already point to a different political landscape in Germany, with gains for both the AfD in parts of eastern Germany and the Left in Berlin.
“A disaster,” says Merz
According to DW, Chancellor Merz described the election result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as a “disaster.”
“The result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania cannot be ignored; it is a disaster,” Merz said in a statement.
He highlighted Germany’s economic problems and deep divisions, saying that “the answer cannot be a return to the good old days.”
“The answer must be to prepare our country for the future,” he told reporters. “Reforms must be carried out.”
“These reforms are the antidote to the poison of authoritarianism,” the chancellor also stated, adding:
“We are taking on this responsibility. I am taking on this responsibility because I want to move our country forward,” Merz added.
Projections for the election results after voting concluded:

Source: Proto Thema