AfD surges as Merz’s CDU suffers regional elections setback

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The centre-right CDU, led by Friedrich Merz, suffered significant setbacks in recent German state elections. The far-right AfD made major gains, topping results in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while far-left Die Linke led in Berlin.

Another electoral setback for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his centre-right CDU performed poorly in two state elections on Sunday. Projections showed the party failing to enter the state parliament in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where the far-right AfD came out on top, while the far-left Die Linke led the vote in Berlin. The AfD also made significant gains in both states, building on its recent victory in Saxony-Anhalt. Nick Rushworth reports.