AfD chief says CDU’s exit from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern parliament is of no interest
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel told a press conference that the party does not care about the CDU’s loss of seats in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and some CDU members expressed similar indifference.
During a Bundespressekonferenz, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel declared that the party does not care whether the CDU survives as a political force, following the CDU’s failure to secure any seats in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament. She argued that the CDU’s “existence” is unnecessary for the AfD, regardless of any potential partnership. Within the CDU, deputy parliamentary group leader Mathias Middelberg remarked that the difference between polling just above or below five percent in the state is minor, while Bundestag member Günter Krings emphasized that a party’s status as a Volkspartei is not determined solely by electoral outcomes.
The party’s recent electoral decline was highlighted by losses in Saxony-Anhalt, where its vote share was halved under Minister-President Sven Schulze, and in Berlin, where it fell to the second-strongest party behind the AfD. The historic defeat in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern marks the first time the CDU has been absent from a state parliament, underscoring an existential challenge for the party.
Why it matters
The story signals a possible erosion of Germany's traditional centre-right party and shifting voter dynamics.
How this story developed
- Aug 23 Merz warns AfD win in Saxony-Anhalt could scare off foreign investors
- Sep 10 Claudia Obert resigned from the CDU and Tino Schomann publicly demanded Merz’s resignation.
- Sep 11 Only the BSW agreed to talks as all other parties declined, and Chancellor Merz rebuked Donald Trump’s congratulatory post.
- Sep 12 Protesters took to streets in dozens of German cities to denounce the AfD and its candidate following its recent electoral success in Saxony-Anhalt.
- Sep 12 Markus Söder publicly rejected calls to replace Chancellor Merz.
- Sep 13 Sven Schulze replaced Guido Heuer as CDU minister after a close internal vote.
- Sep 13 Protests included a Hamburg rally featuring EKD council chair Kirsten Fehrs, DGB chief Tanja Chawla, deputy Schura chair Özlem Nas and singer Axel Bosse, and displayed slogans such as “No step back! Against the AfD and right‑wing hate!”.
- Sep 13 Sloterdijk’s interview at the Hay Festival added new commentary on the AfD’s trajectory.
- Sep 18 Eight state premiers issued a joint communiqué reaffirming support for Chancellor Merz.
- Sep 20 Recent polls show the SPD narrowing the gap with the AfD in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, while the CDU lingers just above the entry threshold and smaller parties risk missing seats. In Berlin, the SPD has slipped behind but remains a contender, and no party appears set for an outright majority, making a three-party coalition likely. Possible alliances include red-green-red or black-green-red blocs, with a potential surprise from the Greens, and incumbent mayor Kai Wegner is not running again.
- Sep 20 Polls now show Die Linke slightly ahead of the CDU in Berlin and the AfD closing on the SPD in Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern.
- Sep 20 Chancellor Friedrich Merz admitted his CDU suffered a crushing defeat in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where the AfD reached 37% while the CDU fell to 5.5%.
- Sep 20 AfD emerged as the front‑runner in Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern and Die Linke topped the Berlin vote.
- Sep 21 The CDU failed to clear the 5% threshold in Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, losing all its seats in the state parliament.
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