Germany: CDU suffers a crushing defeat in the regional elections

Germany’s regional elections delivered mixed results for the country’s major parties. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the far-right AfD won the largest share of the vote, but remains isolated as other parties have ruled out coalition talks, leaving incumbent SPD premier Manuela Schwesig with a realistic path to forming a government. In Berlin, meanwhile, the Left Party came out on top and could potentially form a coalition with the Greens and SPD. The CDU, however, performed poorly in both elections, putting additional pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his conservative bloc. Speaking