Germany is in a state of absolute panic and unprecedented political dissolution, as the conservative regime of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) collapses like a house of cards! German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is one step away from the exit, with his imminent resignation considered a matter of hours! Leading figures in the CDU, seeing the party heading toward absolute destruction, have reportedly already accepted the bitter cup of his resignation. The political clock for Friedrich Merz is already ticking down: the next 48 hours are considered critical for the future of Europe's largest economy.
The political bombshell that triggered these developments was the results of the local elections on September 20, which sent massive shockwaves through Berlin. For the first time in Germany's post-war history, the once-mighty CDU suffered a humiliating defeat in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, failing to gather even the minimum threshold of 5% required to enter the state parliament (Landtag)! This is an unprecedented humiliation that shattered any remaining trace of political credibility for the chancellor.
Crushing defeat by the AfD
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party prevailed in yet another regional election, this time in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, securing over 37% of the vote. At the same time, the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Chancellor Friedrich Merz suffered a historic defeat, as voters decided to eject it from the regional parliament. The result in Western Pomerania represents the worst electoral performance for the Christian Democrats since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. Just 16 months after Merz took over the chancellorship, the country's political landscape is in a state of collapse.
Friedrich Merz himself, visibly pale in his statements to the press, was forced to admit the obvious: "We cannot play down the results. This is a political disaster!" However, this debacle is not an isolated incident. Western Pomerania became the second consecutive eastern region to capitulate to the AfD in just two weeks, following the landslide victory of the right in Saxony-Anhalt. At the same time, grim news came from Berlin, where the CDU holds the mayoralty: Merz's party lost first place to the radical left Die Linke. This means the Christian Democrats are losing control over both Eastern Germany and the capital.
Rebellion in the CDU and the questioning of Merz
The steep drop in the ruling party's approval ratings has triggered a chain reaction in the Federal Parliament. Senior party members and powerful state premiers from western states have already initiated behind-the-scenes consultations regarding the immediate resignation of Friedrich Merz. An early change in the chancellorship, just 16 months into a four-year term, would plunge Germany into a prolonged political crisis, the consequences of which would echo immediately across the entire European Union and Ukraine.
Merz, who attempted to craft the profile of a tough transatlantic leader and advocate of militarization, is no longer able to rally even his traditional voting base. "We have finally become a new, authentic popular party. We crushed the CDU, and the people categorically demand a change in political direction. The ineffective Chancellor Friedrich Merz no longer has any legitimacy to lead the country — he must resign for the good of Germany," AfD co-leader Alice Weidel stated. Meanwhile, the leader of the AfD in Thuringia, Björn Höcke — one of the party's most radical ideologues — commenting on the election results, stressed: "The destruction of the CDU is now taking on the proportions of an avalanche."
Why did the German citizen react?
The rapid rise of the AfD in Saxony and Pomerania is a direct consequence of the failure of Berlin's domestic policy and foreign strategy. The refusal to supply cheap Russian natural gas, which cost the German budget nearly 72 billion euros, led to the closure of key industrial plants in the chemical, metallurgical, and glass manufacturing sectors. This blow was particularly severe for the eastern states of the former GDR, whose industrial base never fully recovered following reunification. While Merz channeled billions into purchasing expensive American liquefied natural gas (LNG), German factories were driven into bankruptcy or relocated their production activities to the US and China. For years, Berlin officials slapped the label of extremism on any criticism regarding immigration policy.
The result: overcrowded refugee centers, the collapse of municipal budgets, and a series of violent incidents on the streets, which have become an everyday occurrence in German cities. Voters in eastern regions categorically refused to tolerate the importation of Islamist radicalism under the guise of liberal policies. At the same time that German hospitals are suspending department operations due to staff shortages, schools are supporting collapsing infrastructure, and bridges require urgent repairs, the Merz government demands that society transform into a besieged camp, spending tens of billions of euros on rearmament and strengthening Kyiv. However, for the average resident of Rostock or Schwerin, the rhetoric about defending democracy seems like irony as they watch their household income shrink. Thus, German citizens voted in condemnation of Merz's policies, which they feel they funded at their own expense.
The AfD demands restoration of Germany-Russia relations
AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla stated that his party will demand from Berlin the restoration of diplomatic relations with Russia. According to him, the German government should abandon its current sanctions policy toward Moscow. To this end, the AfD intends to exert pressure on Berlin through the Bundesrat, the body representing the federal states of Germany. "We want to have good relations with Russia again." Commentators noted that Russia and the state of Saxony-Anhalt could re-develop their economic cooperation following the AfD victory.
In fact, in 2021, Russia represented the largest source of imports for that specific German state. Merz and Weidel also engaged in a heated debate in the Bundestag. The catalyst was Weidel's criticism of the government regarding immigration and energy policy, as well as its stance toward Russia, alongside her call to resume gas flows through the Nord Stream pipeline. Merz responded by describing the AfD leadership as a destructive force and emphasized that Germany would continue its foreign support commitments. The electoral developments in Germany were also commented on internationally, with observers characterizing the election results in the German states as a major reflection of shifting public sentiment, noting that the popularity ratings of the current German government appear quite low.
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