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German State Elections Test Chancellor Merz's Political Standing

By Geopolitics Desk · 2026-09-20 · Updated 2026-09-20 06:40 UTC
A row of white ballot boxes lined up on a table in a bright, modern voting hall
Illustration: Tradingbird

Voters in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are heading to the polls in a critical test for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has cleared his schedule for a party crisis meeting amid a sharp drop in his approval ratings and recent electoral losses to the far-right AfD.

  • Al Jazeera English reports that Chancellor Merz has skipped his UN General Assembly appearance to hold a crisis meeting with his CDU leadership ahead of the vote. The network notes that Merz’s approval rating has plummeted to roughly 14 percent following the recent defeat in Saxony-Anhalt and ongoing friction with coalition partners.

    Source: Al Jazeera English

  • Voters in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania head to the polls in a critical test for Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his party.

    Source: Deutsche Welle
Based on reporting by Deutsche Welle and Al Jazeera English, compiled by the Tradingbird desk.

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