After exit polls in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania showed the far‑right leading in the state vote, Chancellor Merz said the result was a disaster for his CDU, signaling falling public trust in state institutions and introducing new challenges and uncertainty. He said Germany cannot return to the past and must change; he accepted responsibility and said, as party leader and chancellor, he is prepared to push the country forward, which will require resolve, steadiness and patience.