DOMINANT ANGLE
Copenhagen sees the CDU's drop below the 5% mark as an unprecedented fracture in the party's history, and is watching Friedrich Merz's determination to stay in office despite what he himself describes as a catastrophe.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
According to Berlingske, the CDU garnered 4.9% of the vote in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, below the 5% threshold, compared to around 37% for the AfD and 35% for the SPD.
- 02
DR Nyheder reports a 7.9-point decline for the CDU based on ARD's estimate, and quotes Friedrich Merz describing the result as a "catastrophe" while ruling out any resignation.
- 03
Berlingske quotes Social Democratic Minister-President Manuela Schwesig accusing the AfD of "creating widespread fear with remarks about remigration".
ANALYSIS
Copenhagen, Monday, September 21, 2026. The Danish press is looking back at the double German regional election on Sunday with a unanimous finding: Chancellor Friedrich Merz's party has suffered its worst electoral defeat since 1949. According to Berlingske, the CDU garnered 4.9% of the vote in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, below the 5% threshold required for entry into the regional parliament, while the Alternative for Germany (AfD) came in first with around 37% of the votes, ahead of the social-democratic SPD, credited with around 35%. In Berlin, where a second election was held on the same day, Die Linke is ahead of the CDU, which is credited with around 19%, with the AfD making progress at 16%.
Berlingske recalls that the closest precedent dates back to two weeks ago, when the AfD had obtained nearly 44% in Saxony-Anhalt, compared to just 17.2% for the CDU. The media also emphasizes that other German parties continue to oppose the AfD with what they call a "firewall" (brandmur), refusing any coalition with it, both locally and nationally, despite the party's breakthrough.
The same newspaper reports that Social Democratic Minister-President Manuela Schwesig, who is trying to contain the far-right's progress in her own state, accuses the AfD of "creating widespread fear with comments on remigration and culturally diverse workers". She adds, quoted by Reuters during a televised debate: "I find it terrible that people who work here, contribute, and pay their taxes and social security contributions are afraid and do not feel safe."
In the face of an exit poll that DR Nyheder describes as "shocking", with a 7.9-point decline for the CDU according to ARD's estimate, Friedrich Merz himself spoke of a "catastrophe", but ruled out any idea of resignation and intends to continue his reforms. Politiken, on the other hand, evokes an "extreme" election evening, recalling that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is the region of origin of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, which accentuates, for the Danish press, the symbol of the CDU's failure on this historic territory of the founding party. The small population of the state, around 1.6 million inhabitants according to Berlingske, has not prevented the election from resonating far beyond its regional borders.
