The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) said on Monday (September 21) Chancellor Friedrich Merz will no longer be in his job by the end of the year after his conservative CDU failed to pass the 5% threshold in state elections in northeastern Germany over the weekend.

The AfD’s lead candidate for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state premier, Leif-Erik Holm, told reporters in Berlin, "I believe the chancellor certainly will not make it to the end of the year. I think the twilight of his chancellorship has begun.”

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said, “The CDU will never again, never again in its party's history, win a national election.”

Her comments came after Merz’s CDU delivered the worst election result since 1949.

The AfD was set to win 38.3% in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, ahead of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) at 35.4%, according to projections on ARD public television on Sunday night (September 20).

Both parties were far ahead of Merz’s conservatives, who at the latest count had fallen to 4.9%, below the 5% threshold needed to enter the state parliament and indicating they may be excluded altogether.

Sunday's result has given the AfD its second top-place finish this month at the state level. The party leads in national opinion polls but has been kept from power by the other main parties' refusal to work with it.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 21, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. AFD CANDIDATE FOR MECKLENBURG-WESTERN POMERANIA STATE PREMIER, LEIF-ERIK HOLM, AFD CANDIDATE FOR BERLIN MAYOR AND STATE PREMIER, KRISTIN BRINKER AND AFD CO-LEADERS ALICE WEIDEL AND TINO CHRUPALLA POSING FOR CAMERAS

2. MAN IN AUDIENCE FILMING PRESS CONFERENCE WITH MOBILE PHONE

3. HOLM LISTENING TO REPORTER’S QUESTION

4. REPORTERS

5. (SOUNDBITE) (German) AFD CANDIDATE FOR MECKLENBURG-WESTERN POMERANIA STATE PREMIER, LEIF-ERIK HOLM, SAYING:

“I have always said this: the CDU has to be careful not to lose its aura of invincibility. And now it has lost it. It has lost it at every level. We can see that in the (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) result of 4.9%. That is truly a devastating signal for the CDU. That is why I believe the chancellor certainly will not make it to the end of the year. I think the twilight of his chancellorship has begun.”

6. PRESS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

7. (SOUNDBITE) (German) AFD CO-LEADER, ALICE WEIDEL, SAYING:

“The CDU will never again, never again in its party's history, win a national election. As you know, I've been saying this publicly for years: You don't have to be particularly intelligent to foresee it.”

8. REPORTERS SEATED

9. (SOUNDBITE) (German) AFD CO-LEADER, ALICE WEIDEL, SAYING:

"We believe it is important to maintain a good relationship with the United States. That was the reason for my meeting with US Vice President JD Vance last year. It is important to us to keep channels of communication open with the Americans and with the Russian side. Both sides have come to the conclusion that the only reliable partner in Germany is the Alternative for Germany (AfD).”

10. PRESS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

11. (SOUNDBITE) (German) AFD CO-LEADER, TINO CHRUPALLA, SAYING:

"Good cooperation, and I want to stress this again because good relations with Russia are constantly being brought up: We want good relations with all major powers, just as we do with the United States and China. I think this is precisely what Germany, as a middle power in Europe, has been lacking: a willingness to have this debate again, including about once more being able to obtain inexpensive energy from Russia, which gave us a competitive advantage. We can see that the real downside was that the sanctions policy primarily harmed the German economy.”

12. CHRUPALLA SPEAKING ON PODIUM

13. PRESS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS