(September 1, 2026)

WASHINGTON—State elections this month in Germany will almost certainly weaken Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s federal coalition and raise new obstacles to his promised reforms. Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and his coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) are facing significant losses in the three state elections. Meanwhile, the most consequential state election comes first: in Sachsen-Anhalt, the right-wing nativist Alternative for Germany (AfD) is within reach of a parliamentary majority.