German Chancellor Merz vows to stay on despite 'disaster' in state election

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to stay in office despite damaging results for his party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), in elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin. In Mecklenburg, the CDU is projected to barely enter parliament, while the AfD is expected to win the most votes. In Berlin, the CDU is also expected to be beaten by Die Linke. Merz is under increasing pressure and rumors of a mid-term replacement are circulating.