++ Liveblog on the elections in MV and Berlin: Parties wrap up election campaign ++

Elections in MV and Berlin ++ Parties Wrap Up Campaigns ++

Ahead of election day in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin, parties are concluding their campaigns today. Before a difficult election Sunday, Chancellor Merz receives further backing.

One day before the state election in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a tight race between the SPD and AfD is emerging. The Social Democrats' hopes for electoral success owe much to Minister-President Manuela Schwesig. "That incumbency advantage is quite substantial," ARD reporter Marek Walde analyzed on tagesschau24. She is playing precisely that card, with large posters bearing her face and slogans such as "The Woman Against Blue" visible across the state. "There is already a significant personalization taking place on the part of the SPD," said Walde.

Schwesig's campaign recently drew criticism from the Greens. By portraying herself as the only one who can stop the AfD, Schwesig is risking "the victory of democratic forces for a brief moment of triumph," said Green Party federal chairwoman Franziska Brantner to Bild. CDU lead candidate Daniel Peters also criticized Schwesig, saying her strategy aims to divide society, which ultimately strengthens the AfD.

Ahead of the difficult election Sunday in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin, Chancellor Friedrich Merz is receiving further support. Federal Health Minister Carsten Linnemann called for unity and the continuation of joint government work. The country is under pressure both domestically and in foreign policy, said the CDU politician. "Right now it is important that the government remains stable and drives reforms forward. Friedrich Merz stands as chancellor with resolve behind this necessary course of reform."

Former CDU leader and the Union's chancellor candidate Armin Laschet also considers the debate about toppling Chancellor Friedrich Merz to be misguided. "A great deal would have to come together before a chancellor is brought down," he said. He therefore does not find the talk about it helpful, as it further weakens the chancellor. The coming Sunday is "a decisive election day for the democratic landscape in Germany and for the CDU," he added, with an eye on the elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin.

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Minister-President Manuela Schwesig's SPD has recently gained ground in the polls and narrowed the gap with the AfD. In the 2025 federal election, the AfD finished more than 20 percentage points ahead of the SPD in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In the ARD pre-election poll by infratest dimap, the gap had most recently narrowed to five points.

In Berlin, a Left Party politician could become Governing Mayor for the first time. A neck-and-neck race at the top is emerging. In the ARD pre-election poll by infratest dimap, the Left Party holds a slim lead over the CDU.

According to all polls in recent weeks, no two-party coalition commands a majority, including the governing alliance of CDU and SPD. Three-party coalitions are more likely — either CDU, Greens and SPD together, or the Left Party, Greens and SPD. The AfD is expected to be excluded from any government formation, as the other parties refuse to work with it.

Welcome to the live blog covering the upcoming elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin on Sunday. All key developments and background information on the elections can be found here. Glad you're with us!