Germany's Merz defiant after historic state elections defeat, vows to press ahead with reforms, tell me about this news in (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/germany-friedrich-merz-state-elections-afd-left-party/)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz remained defiant following historic losses for his center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in two regional state elections, pledging to push forward with his government’s reform agenda despite mounting political pressure.

Key Details from the Report

• Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Defeat: Exit polls showed the CDU securing just around 5% of the votethe party’s worst regional election result in post-World War II German history. By contrast, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to 37%.

• Berlin Election Results: In Berlin, the CDU came in second place with roughly 20%, trailing behind Die Linke (The Left Party), which led with 24.5% under lead candidate Elif Eralp. The AfD secured about 15.7% in the capital.

• Merz’s Stance: Acknowledging the results as a “disaster,” Chancellor Merz emphasized that resolving Germany’s economic and structural challenges makes painful, potentially unpopular reforms more urgent than ever. He declared that these reforms are the true “antidote to the poison of authoritarianism” and reiterated his commitment to serving out his term, stating that the current situation requires “backbone, steadfastness, and patience.”

• Growing Political Pressure: The defeat follows another major setback in Saxony-Anhalt earlier in September, where the AfD also performed strongly. The string of losses has amplified internal scrutiny within the CDU and prompted calls from opposition leaders, such as AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla, for Merz to step down.

• Domestic Focus: Amid the fallout and economic headwindsincluding slow labor market conditions and unemployment surpassing 3 millionMerz canceled a scheduled trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly to focus on managing the crisis at home.