Merz fears far-right 'big bang' in German regional polls

BERLIN

Germany's unpopular conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned on June 6 of a potential "big bang" breakthrough by the far right in two regional elections in September.

"There is more at stake than just the future of a government" in the elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, he said in a speech to his party congress in the latter region.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is now well ahead in the polls in both of these former East German states.

Centre-right leader Merz meanwhile is the most unpopular leader of post-war Germany, struggling to pass economic reforms with the centre-left.

Europe's largest economy is grappling with sluggish growth and an ageing population.

Polls have shown the AfD overtaking Merz's centre- right alliance at national level, prompting talk of his potential ousting.

"If we are not good enough, then just such a big bang will happen" in September, "in a different way from what some may have imagined," he said.