The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) wins local elections in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and the left-wing populist party The Left wins in Berlin.
This is evidenced by exit poll data from public broadcaster ARD, DW and Tagesschau report.
According to preliminary election results in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the AfD is gaining 37.3% of the vote and is breaking away from the Social Democratic Party, which currently heads the state government, which received 35.6%.
Meanwhile, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of incumbent Chancellor Friedrich Merz is only getting 5.3%. Merz has already called his partyʼs result a disaster.
Two weeks ago, AfD also came in first place in the elections in Saxony-Anhalt. The party opposes aid to Ukraine, calls for rapprochement with Russia and the lifting of sanctions against it. Despite the AfDʼs first place, the party is unlikely to lead the state government: other political forces have said they will not form a coalition with it.
Meanwhile, in Berlin, according to exit polls, Die Linke ("The Left") is leading with 24.9% of the vote. This means that this party could enter the Berlin parliament for the first time. The Left is also pro-Russian and opposes arms supplies to Ukraine.
CDU took second place in Berlin with 20% of the vote, and the Alternative for Germany came in third with about 16%.
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