Far-right AfD wins in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as CDU faces historic defeat

On Sunday, September 20, 2026, state elections held in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern resulted in a historic victory for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which secured 38.2-38.3% of the vote. This outcome marks the second major regional success for the party this month, following their strong performance in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6.

The election proved catastrophic for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which received only 4.9% of the vote. Falling short of the mandatory 5% threshold, the CDU has failed to secure any seats in the state parliament for the first time in post-war German history, representing a decline of 8.4 percentage points from 2021. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) finished second with 35.4-35.5%, while the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance narrowly missed the threshold with 4.8%.

Chancellor Merz described the results as a “disaster” but rejected speculation regarding his resignation, vowing to continue his reform agenda. The AfD, which advocates for strict deportation policies and the restoration of energy ties with Russia, currently leads in national opinion polls, though traditional parties continue to refuse to form coalitions with them.