General
Exit Polls: AfD Gains Significantly, CDU Threatens to Fall Below Electoral Threshold
Exit polls from German state elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin show the radical-right AfD winning with 38% of the vote, while Die Linke leads in Berlin. The CDU faces a historic low, potentially falling below the 5% threshold needed for parliamentary representation, which intensifies pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz. AfD leader Tino Chrupalla celebrated the result and suggested Merz’s resignation would be beneficial, citing economic struggles and the party's inability to curb the AfD's rise as key factors undermining Merz's popularity.
Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's