Germany's Merz Vows to Preserve Coalition After Regional Election Losses

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to maintain the stability of his coalition for the country's "democratic future" following heavy losses for his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in regional elections, according to reports by the BBC and The Guardian.

According to the outlets, the governing party suffered setbacks in two state elections, dropping to just 4.9% of the vote in the home state of former chancellor Angela Merkel. Merz expressed gratitude to his coalition partner, the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), for remaining in government, noting that the implications of the results extend far beyond his own person.