Merz's future is uncertain as 2 German states vote
Two German regional elections this weekend are expected to bring more gains for a far-right party and could determine whether Chancellor Friedrich Merz can hold on to power and push ahead with economic reforms. The already unpopular Merz’s authority was damaged by his party’s stinging defeat on Sept. 6 at the hands of the anti-migration, Russia-friendly Alternative for Germany in Saxony-Anhalt, a small eastern state.
On Sunday, two more states hold elections: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, another largely rural region in the formerly communist east; and the capital, Berlin. Both are challenging for Merz's center-right party.
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