German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to keep his ruling coalition together, emphasizing the importance of maintaining Germany's "democratic future" after his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party suffered major losses in two recent state elections. Merz called the results in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern a "heavy blow" and described it as a "profound turning point" for the center-right CDU. In that northern state, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party secured the most votes, while the CDU fell below the 5% threshold needed to enter the state parliament. In Berlin, the CDU came in second to the hard-left Die Linke party, with the AfD also making notable gains. Merz denied that his personal popularity was solely responsible for the election losses, stating that the reasons behind the results extend beyond his leadership. He also dismissed rumors that he might be replaced in a so-called "chancellor swap" due to his low approval ratings. However, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel told the BBC that Merz is expected to leave office soon. These election results follow a similar defeat in Saxony-Anhalt, where the CDU's vote share was cut in half, and the AfD achieved a major victory. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the CDU's performance was described as "a disaster," falling far short of expectations and marking what could be the party's worst-ever result in the region. Although the AfD won the most votes, it is unlikely to form a government on its own, as other parties may refuse to cooperate with it. Some factions of the AfD have been labeled as right-wing extremist by German intelligence agencies, a classification the party strongly disputes. In Berlin, the CDU's loss means Die Linke, which won the most votes, is now in a strong position to form a coalition government. Elif Eralp, who led Die Linke to victory in the capital, promised to address the issue of unaffordable rents, stating that Berliners have chosen a new policy direction focused on making housing more affordable and prioritizing people's needs. During the campaign, Eralp pledged to expropriate over 200,000 housing units from private landlords. In response, Merz has promised to push for legislation to prevent such actions, citing concerns about the impact on foreign investment.