September 21, 2026

SCHWERIN, Germany — German voters went to the polls on Sunday in two state elections that look likely to heap more pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose future has been in the balance since the far right's triumph in another regional vote this month.

The elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and the capital Berlin follow the Sept 6 election in Saxony-Anhalt, where the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, came close to the rare feat of winning an absolute majority.

Regional elections would not usually draw much interest outside Germany, but the AfD's success in Saxony-Anhalt, which the party sees as the first step toward winning federal elections due in 2029, has sent shock waves through Europe.

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