Merz's CDU in "fight for survival" ahead of Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania vote
A new poll puts the CDU at 7%—just above the 5% threshold—while AfD leads and SPD follows ahead of 20 September regional elections.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is facing what a leading state candidate called a "fight for survival" just days before the regional elections in Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania.
Poll puts CDU perilously close to the threshold
Daniel Peters, the CDU's top candidate in the state, said his party is in a "serious situation" after a recent survey showed the CDU could potentially fail to win any seats in the state parliament on 20 September. The same poll put the CDU at only 7 percent — barely above the 5 percent barrier required to enter the legislature.
The right‑wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) led the standings at 37 percent, while the Social Democrats (SPD), headed locally by incumbent Minister‑President Manuela Schwesig, stood at 34 percent.
Peters sought to distance himself from his party leader, saying Merz will no longer hold campaign events in the state ahead of the vote. The chancellor made a single public appearance in the state last week in Kühlungsborn, where he was jeered and heckled.
"At the moment, people here are very disappointed with national politics, and we are suffering as a result of that," Peters said.
The Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania ballot is scheduled for 20 September, the same day as regional voting in Berlin, where the CDU is also fighting to retain the mayoralty amid a three‑way contest with AfD and The Left.
Photo: press material from the event
