Merz's Moment of Truth: Will Germany's Chancellor Stay or Go? Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), faces his toughest test yet after disastrous state election results.
Despite these setbacks, he has vowed to stay on as chancellor, leaving many wondering if he will be held accountable for his party's misfortunes.
The numbers are stark: Mecklenburg Vorpommern is set to deliver its worst ever result for the CDU, with the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) poised to take top spot and the centre left SPD coming second.