Merz insists he will stay as German chancellor despite heavy losses in state elections – Europe live

CDU suffered heavy losses in two regional elections, including in home state of former leader Angela Merkel, where it polled just 4.9%

Some more detail on the two electoral races we saw in Germany on Sunday.

In Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania, some analysts say the real battle for votes was between AfD and the center-left Social Democrats who ran a campaign presenting themselves as the bulwark against the far-right.