Germany's conservatives wiped out in Angela Merkel's home region

The election marked the latest gains for the AfD, which has faced intense national scrutiny. Though it handily won the most support, it will likely fall short of an outright majority.

By Ben Whedon

Published: September 21, 2026 10:27am

The Christian Democratic Union (CUD), Germany's primary conservative party, witnessed a total wipe out in a statewide election this weekend, falling short of the threshold to win even a single seat in a state parliament.

The CDU earned only 4.9% of the vote, falling short of the 5% threshold to secure representation in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern legislature. Leading the pack was the far-right AfD, which took 38.2% of the vote. The left-wing SPD took 35.5%.

For the CDU, the result was particularly shocking, given former Chancellor Angela Merkel had represented the region as a member of the party for more than 30 years.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the result a "disaster," according to the BBC. But vowed to stay on as chancellor at the national level.

The election marked the latest gains for the AfD, which has faced intense national scrutiny. Though it handily won the most support, it will likely fall short of an outright majority.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.