The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is on the verge of securing its second consecutive victory in state parliament elections in the former East Germany region.

The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz as party chairman, faces the threat of being shut out of a state parliament for the first time in history.

According to the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Returning Officer, with votes counted in 1,954 out of 1,974 polling stations as of 10:15 p.m. local time on the 20th, the AfD garnered 38.4 percent of the vote, surpassing the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) at 35.4 percent.

The AfD nearly doubled its vote share in the region compared to 20.3 percent during the 2021 election.

Following the state election in Saxony-Anhalt on the 6th, the party is now highly likely to become the largest party in another former East German region.

However, it is expected to fall well short of a majority of seats, making it unlikely to form a state government.

Local media outlets expect the SPD, The Left party (6.5 percent), and the Greens (5.6 percent) to form a progressive coalition government.

The CDU currently stands at 4.9 percent, casting uncertainty over whether it will secure any seats in parliament.

If the final party vote share falls below 5 percent, it will not be allocated a single seat.

The CDU has never been expelled from any state parliament across all 16 states in its history.

In the Berlin state parliament election held on the same day, the AfD also made significant gains, while the CDU risks losing the mayoral seat.

As of 10 p.m. that night, The Left party was leading with 25.7 percent of the vote, followed by the CDU at 18.8 percent and the AfD at 16.0 percent.

The AfD nearly doubled its vote share from 9.1 percent in the 2023 election, whereas the CDU dropped by nearly 10 percentage points from 28.2 percent.

The CDU had won the mayoral seat and reclaimed it after 22 years during the previous re-election, which was held due to a ballot paper shortage.

Mayor Kai Wegner gave a false explanation that he was working even while playing tennis with his girlfriend during a major blackout in January of this year, leading him to give up his re-election bid.

Chancellor Merz is facing criticism over leadership issues within the federal government and is held responsible for failing to stem the rise of the far-right AfD, which had aimed to form a solo state government in Saxony-Anhalt.

Ever since the CDU suffered a crushing defeat in Saxony-Anhalt, persistent rumors have circulated regarding various scenarios, such as replacing the chancellor with another figure within the party or expelling the SPD from the federal government to form a minority government.

As a result, the election was viewed as an indirect vote of confidence in Chancellor Merz.

Chancellor Merz held a press conference at the CDU headquarters that evening, describing the exit poll results in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as a disaster.

Regarding Berlin, he remarked that it was "more or less okay."

He stated, "Change requires strength. Not everyone will applaud, and in some areas, it will take time to deliver results."

However, he added, "We accept this responsibility. I, too, want to move our country forward, so I will take responsibility," expressing his intention not to resign.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)