Voters are casting ballots in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin, where growing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany is creating challenges for Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

RReuters2026-09-20 14:01

Polling stations have opened for regional elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. The results could affect Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s hold on power, while the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is expected to gain ground.

TThe Associated Press2026-09-20 12:30

Regional elections are being held in Berlin and the largely rural state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Both contests are seen as a test for centre-right Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has scheduled a crisis meeting and will skip this week’s UN General Assembly to handle possible fallout. Could the results force him to resign?

FFrance 24 English2026-09-20 10:26

Two weeks after the far-right AfD secured its first major regional election victory in Germany, voters in two more eastern states go to the polls on Sunday. Voting has opened in Berlin and the largely rural state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

FFrance 24 English2026-09-20 09:35

Germany is preparing for Sunday elections in Berlin and largely rural Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The far-right, anti-immigration AfD is seeking major gains after its best-ever result in Saxony-Anhalt, while the contests are expected to test Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s leadership.

FFrance 24 English2026-09-19 15:28

Ahead of a regional election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, SPD politician Manuela Schwesig is trying to prevent the far-right AfD from securing another win in eastern Germany. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives face a potentially devastating defeat, while voters leaving traditional parties are asked whether the political center can win them back.

DDW News2026-09-18 23:25

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a crucial test in this weekend’s election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. With his CDU heading toward one of its weakest results in the state, conservatives are trying to win voters with promises such as lower fuel prices, but it is unclear whether that will prevent further losses.

DDW News2026-09-18 20:00

Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a crucial weekend as voters cast ballots in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. After the CDU suffered a heavy defeat in Saxony-Anhalt, another poor result could further undermine his leadership and raise questions about his position.

DDW News2026-09-17 20:47

Eight of Germany’s 16 state premiers have declared their support for Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The backing comes as his government faces pressure ahead of elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, following recent setbacks for Merz’s CDU and weak polling for both the chancellor and his party.

AAl Jazeera English2026-09-16 16:14

Voters in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are preparing for a state election whose effects could extend beyond the region. The Social Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig, is competing against the rising far-right Alternative for Germany, which leads opinion polls, while Schwesig is promoting affordability measures such as free daycare centres.

AAl Jazeera English2026-09-14 19:56

Tens of thousands marched in about 20 German cities to protest the far right’s rise after the AfD’s historic victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election. Demonstrators said they were defending democracy, while mainstream parties continued to rule out governing with the AfD.

FFrance 24 English2026-09-13 09:41

Protests are taking place across Germany against the AfD after the party finished first in last Sunday’s election. Its promises to curb migration and restore ties with Moscow have shocked many people.

FFrance 24 English2026-09-12 14:39

A new ZDF poll puts Germany’s far-right AfD ahead of the field before the September 20 regional election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s centre-right CDU has dropped to just 7%, which would be the party’s worst-ever result in a German regional election.

FFrance 24 English2026-09-12 14:37

After the Alternative for Germany secured a historic landslide in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections, Germany’s chancellor is facing scrutiny over the political implications of the result.

DDW News2026-09-11 23:00

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party won a record result and a landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt. DW visits the state to hear from voters, business owners and immigrants about why some support the party and why others fear what may follow.

DDW News2026-09-11 20:00

For the first time since World War Two, a far-right party has made a major breakthrough in Germany, winning nearly 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt. The Alternative for Germany, labelled “right-wing extremist” by domestic intelligence, leads national polls. Its state-level pledges include defunding “anti-German” art and teaching children less about Hitler under a “patriotism” agenda, challenging Germany’s decades-old historical memory.

BBBC News2026-09-10 18:30

Germany is facing a political earthquake after the AfD won nearly 44% in Saxony-Anhalt, its strongest result yet. Lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund is set to become the party’s first state premier. AfD leaders including Alice Weidel call the result only a beginning, while thousands protest the far-right surge.

DDW News2026-09-10 13:00

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said Moscow was “happy” about the Alternative for Germany (AfD) victory in German regional elections. She said the result could not be attributed solely to “disinformation”, though it had helped amplify social dissatisfaction and turn people against one another.

Eeuronews2026-09-10 07:58

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen says Russia is pleased with the Alternative for Germany’s recent election win. She warns that disinformation campaigns push people against one another and their governments, while declining to attribute the result solely to disinformation.

Eeuronews2026-09-10 07:10

Days after the far-right AfD achieved its best-ever result in a state election in Saxony-Anhalt, co-leader Alice Weidel and Chancellor Friedrich Merz clashed in Germany’s parliament. Amid personal attacks and ominous warnings, Merz likened the party’s so-called “remigration” plan to ethnic cleansing.

DDW News2026-09-09 16:00

Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused the far-right Alternative for Germany of pursuing an “ethnic cleansing” policy in an address to parliament. His remarks followed his conservative CDU’s defeat by the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, where the party campaigned on curbing migration and restoring ties with Moscow. Merz also cancelled a call with Trump.

GGuardian News2026-09-09 15:42

Nazi death camp survivor Eva Umlauf says she is appalled by the Alternative for Germany’s victory in Saxony-Anhalt. The result puts the far-right party within reach of governing a German state for the first time since World War Two.

RReuters2026-09-09 07:09

The far-right Alternative for Germany has won a historic victory in elections in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt and says it is now very close to taking power there. That would mark the first time a far-right party has governed a German state since the Second World War. The report examines how the AfD attracted voters and why critics compare it with the Nazis.

BBBC News2026-09-08 18:00

The AfD secured a record 44% in Saxony-Anhalt, prompting questions over whether the result was a regional protest vote or evidence of a wider shift in German politics. The podcast examines the implications for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the AfD, Germany’s political future and Russia.

DDW News2026-09-08 17:12