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France 24
France 24
Clémence WALLER

RARE PHOTOS: Germany merz vows to push on despite setbacks - The Real Truth

Friedrich Merz CDU
Cover image: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's televised address seen from a TV studio in Schwerin on September 20, 2026. © Marcus Brandt, AFP

German voters have delivered a fresh setback to Chancellor Friedrich Merz in two key regional elections.

In Berlin, exit polls put the left-wing Die Linke ahead of Merz’s CDU. And in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the far-right AfD is projected to finish first, narrowly ahead of the Social Democrats.

For Merz, the results are a warning after just 16 months in office. The Chancellor himself called the CDU’s performance a “disaster”, but vowed to push ahead with his reform agenda.

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