German Chancellor Merz vows to stay on despite 'disaster' state election exit polls
Exit polls show damaging losses for Merz's centre-right CDU party in the states of Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
German Chancellor Merz says he will remain in office despite 'disaster' state election exit polls
Embattled German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he will stay on even after exit polls in two regional elections pointed to heavy losses for his centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party.
In the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the party was forecast to barely make it into parliament, while the AfD was set to win the largest share of the vote. Merz described the outcome as "a disaster".
In Berlin, the governing CDU was also expected to lose to Die Linke (The Left).
Merz is facing growing pressure, with weak approval ratings and speculation that he could even be replaced before the end of his term in a so-called chancellor swap.
Voting took place on Sunday, two weeks after the CDU saw its support cut in half as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured a major win in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Polling stations in both states closed at 18:00 local time (17:00 BST), and a final result was expected in the hours that followed.
According to public broadcaster ZDF, the AfD was projected to receive 38% of the vote in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Even so, it is unlikely to govern in the state because other parties refuse to cooperate with it.
In Berlin, the broadcaster put the CDU on 20% when polls closed, behind Die Linke on nearly 26%.
Before Sunday's elections, there had been intense speculation in Germany that Merz could be replaced unless his party's political standing improved.
Earlier this week, the leaders of eight German states backed Merz, who has been in the post for only 16 months.