Merz’s election setback: What it means for Germany?

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and CDU representatives held a press conference on Monday, September 21, after the party suffered its worst regional election defeat in postwar Germany. Merz called the result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania a “disaster”, as the CDU fell below the 5% threshold for entering the state parliament. Helmut Schmidt fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the US, Markus Ziener, shares further details.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and CDU representatives held a press conference on Monday, September 21, after the party suffered its worst regional election defeat in postwar Germany. Merz called the result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania a “disaster”, as the CDU fell below the 5% threshold for entering the state parliament. Helmut Schmidt fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the US, Markus Ziener, shares further details.