Elections & Democracy
AfD leads SPD in Mecklenburg exit polls
Exit polls showed Germany's AfD ahead of the centre-left SPD in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state election on September 20.
The vote in the northeastern former East German state had been closely watched because state premier Manuela Schwesig was trying to stop the AfD from becoming the strongest force.
Before the vote, a Bild daily INSA survey had put the AfD at 37 percent and Schwesig's SPD at 35 percent. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right CDU was on 7 percent in that survey, close to the 5 percent threshold needed to remain in the state parliament.
The election came two weeks after the AfD won in Saxony-Anhalt. It was being watched as a test for Germany's political centre and for Merz's CDU-led national government.
Schwesig, 52, campaigned to keep governing with a leftist multi-party coalition. Her rival was Leif-Erik Holm, 56, a former radio host and AfD politician.
Update
Exit polls put the AfD ahead of the centre-left SPD in the northeastern state vote.
Source note: AFP news report published on 20 September 2026 at 16:03:51 UTC.
Update
A latest Bild daily INSA survey put the AfD at 37 percent and the SPD at 35 percent in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The same survey put Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU at 7 percent in the state, close to the 5 percent threshold for parliament.
The source adds campaign details about SPD premier Manuela Schwesig and AfD candidate Leif-Erik Holm before the Sunday vote.
Schwesig said the race was between the AfD becoming the strongest force and the SPD remaining the strongest force.
Source note: AFP news report published on 16 September 2026 at 10:08:14 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The exit-poll vote shares and final official results were not supplied.
Source
AFP news report published on .