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Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for state elections that could reshape Germany’s political landscape and test Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s leadership, as far-right and far-left parties threaten gains at the expense of his CDU.
In Berlin, 2.5 million voters are choosing a new state parliament, with polls showing a tight race between the far-left Die Linke at 22% and the CDU at 20%, followed by the AfD at 18%, the Greens at 15%, and the SPD at 12% . In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the SPD and AfD are locked in a neck-and-neck battle for first place, while the CDU risks falling below the 5% threshold needed to retain seats .
Merz, whose approval ratings have slumped to 14%, skipped the UN General Assembly to focus on the fallout, convening a CDU leadership meeting Sunday evening in Berlin’s Konrad Adenauer House . The elections follow the AfD’s near-absolute majority in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks ago, where it won 43.8% .
Voting closes at 6 p.m., with results expected to influence debates over Merz’s future as CDU leader and chancellor . For the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds are eligible to vote in Berlin’s state election .
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