Merz Vows to Stay After CDU State Election Disaster

Friedrich Merz's CDU scored just over 5% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, its worst-ever state result, while the far-right AfD won there and the leftwing Die Linke leads in Berlin. Merz has vowed to remain chancellor and keep his coalition together despite the losses.

🐿️ Merz is doubling down on leadership after a historic rout, but his refusal to step aside could deepen the CDU's crisis and hand more ground to extremists.