Germany: AfD leads in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Merz's CDU slumps to 7%

What happened

Key facts

• Germany's far-right AfD is leading in polls ahead of regional elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on September 20, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right CDU has fallen to just 7%, according to a new ZDF poll.
• Reported by France 24 and published Sat, 12 Sep 2026 14:37:48 UTC.

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1. 14:37 UTC · France 24

   Germany: AfD leads in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Merz's CDU slumps to 7%

2. 17:12 UTC · France 24

   Tens of thousands protest against far-right AfD party in Germany

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France 24•

Tens of thousands protest against far-right AfD party in Germany

About 150,000 demonstrators took to the streets in around 20 cities across Germany on Saturday against the far-right AfD, after the party scored a crushing victory in a state election last week.

Brief by WorldPing · Original reporting by France 24