Overnight editors confirmed the projections: the CDU at 4.9% missed the Schwerin Landtag for the first time in its history, while the AfD finished ahead of Schwesig's SPD and the Left won clearly in Berlin ahead of the CDU.
By morning the vote counts gave way to a debate over Chancellor Merz. Papers reported a meeting of CDU minister-presidents without him on election night, quoted foreign press doubting he would finish his term, and described his position as reduced to bad options.
At midday Merz faced the press, called the result a deep caesura, admitted his person played a large role and questioned the dual health-insurance system. The SPD answered with open distance, with Schwesig attacking him and Klingbeil demanding changes to the pension reform. In the evening MV CDU chief Peters resigned and Amthor took over interim, while no challenger moved against Merz.