The election results have intensified pressure on Germany’s governing CDU, while Merz stressed the need for reforms to address economic difficulties Friedrich Merz said he would stay put as German chancellor even after the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered its worst-ever result in a state election, securing just 4.9% of the vote in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, according to preliminary results, missing a 5% threshold required to enter parliament. Key points and original sources are listed below.

• The election results have intensified pressure on Germany’s governing CDU, while Merz stressed the need for reforms to address economic difficultiesS1

• Friedrich Merz said he would stay put as German chancellor even after the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered its worst-ever result in a state election, securing just 4.9% of the vote in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, according to preliminar...S2

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a struggle to stabilize his position and keep his agenda on track after voters inflicted two more defeats on his party, ejecting it from a state legislature for the first time.S3

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has faced a major electoral setback in two state elections including a historic defeat for his party.S4