Germany's Merz calls election drubbing for conservatives a 'disaster'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called his Christian Democrats' performance in state elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern a "disaster," as projections suggest the conservative party has suffered another major electoral blow to the far right, reported dpa.

Delivering a statement at party headquarters of his Christian Democrats (CDU) in Berlin just minutes after polls closed in two regional elections, in the capital Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Merz vowed on to push ahead with reforms despite a historic defeat in the north-eastern state, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is projected to come in first.

Initial projections by broadcasters ARD and ZDF put the CDU at around 5% in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, just above the threshold needed to take seats in a state parliament, in what would be the party's worst-ever showing in state elections in post-war Germany.

Merz, who has faced immense pressure on his leadership for months, conceded it was not possible to "sugar-coat" the result. But he vowed to "to prepare our country for the future," pledging to press ahead with his unpopular economic and social reforms.

"I am taking on this responsibility because I want to move our country forward," he said.

"I am firmly convinced that the success of our reforms will not only improve the way we live together, but also our self-image and our image in the world. Germany is capable of reform."