Left Wins Berlin, AfD Tops Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as CDU Fails to Enter a State Parliament for the First Time Ever

In twin September 20, 2026 state elections, the CDU suffered its worst result in the party's history: in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern it won just 4.9% and failed to clear the 5% threshold, missing a state parliament altogether for the first time since German reunification — the AfD topped the poll there with 38.2% (32 seats) ahead of the SPD's Manuela Schwesig on 35.5% (29 seats), with the Left on 6.5% (5 seats) and the Greens on 5.7% (5 seats) both crossing the threshold; turnout rose 7.3 points to 78.1%. In Berlin, the Left (Die Linke) won outright with 25.7% (47 seats), pushing the CDU into second at 18.8% (34 seats) and the AfD to third at 16.3% (29 seats), while the governing SPD collapsed to a record-low 12.1% (22 seats) and the Greens took 14.3% (26 seats); the FDP and BSW both missed the threshold. Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern result a 'disaster' but said 'the reforms have to come. I am taking on this responsibility because I want to move our country forward,' vowing to remain chancellor and CDU leader. AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla said Merz's response 'really was more than feeble' and renewed calls for him to resign. Since the AfD 'firewall' (Brandmauer) rules out any coalition with it in either state, Manuela Schwesig opened red-red-green exploratory talks with the Left and Greens in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (39 of 71 seats, a working majority), while in Berlin a Left-Green-SPD coalition emerged as the likeliest path despite tension over the Left's demand for housing nationalization.