CDU faces AfD surge ahead of key German state elections in Saxony-Anhalt

With the AfD polling around 40% in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, CDU leader Friedrich Merz is under growing pressure ahead of critical September state elections. Merz echoed Angela Merkel's famous phrase 'We can do it' as a campaign signal to regional party branches.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz is facing mounting pressure as the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party polls at around 40% in two key eastern German states ahead of September's state elections. The upcoming votes in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are seen as a major test for Germany's governing party and its ability to contain the AfD's rise in the former East Germany.

Merz raised eyebrows over the weekend when he used the phrase 'Wir schaffen das', 'We can do it', a slogan widely associated with former Chancellor Angela Merkel's 2015 refugee policy stance. Political observers interpreted the phrase as a deliberate campaign signal directed at CDU regional branches in the east, urging them to stay the course despite the difficult polling environment.

Pressure Builds on Merz

Saxony-Anhalt's CDU Minister-President and lead candidate Sven Schulze is among those who will need to mount a credible challenge against the AfD in a region where the party has established a commanding lead. The CDU's strategy in eastern Germany has long been complicated by the AfD's stronghold on voters who feel left behind by mainstream parties.

The September elections are widely regarded as a bellwether for German national politics. A strong AfD performance could further shift the political center of gravity and complicate CDU's broader coalition-building efforts ahead of future federal elections. Analysts warn that the traditional parties must present convincing regional agendas to reclaim voters drifting toward the far right.