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Far‑Right AfD Tops Poll in Northeast as CDU Collapses to Postwar Low

Exit polls that favor the AfD deepen pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz by making coalition formation harder and exposing strains in the mainstream parties’ refusal to work with the far right.

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Flags of the European Union, Germany and Berlin flutter outside the Berlin state parliament (Abgeordnetenhaus) building on the day of the state election in Berlin, Germany, September 20, 2026. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

Overview

  • Exit polls on Sunday showed the Alternative for Germany (AfD) leading in Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania with about 36–38 percent while the Social Democrats trailed narrowly and the CDU fell to roughly 5–6 percent, a postwar low for the party.
  • In Berlin the far‑left Die Linke led with about 24–26 percent, the CDU dropped to around 20 percent, and the AfD also increased its share in the capital, underscoring a split between eastern and urban voting patterns.
  • Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the outcome a “disaster,” canceled planned travel to the UN General Assembly, and convened CDU leaders but said he will press ahead with his reform agenda rather than resign.
  • Despite strong AfD showings, other major parties continue to rule out coalitions with the far right, meaning the party is unlikely to take office immediately but its repeated victories complicate stable coalition math across states.
  • Analysts and politicians point to cost‑of‑living pressures, housing shortages, migration concerns and fatigue with federal reforms as drivers of the shifts and warn that continued exclusion of a growing voter bloc could deepen political polarization and instability.