BERLIN, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz on Monday called his party's state election defeat in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern a "heavy blow," while ruling out any internal leadership challenge.
Following Sunday's election in the northeastern state, the CDU failed to enter the state parliament for the first time, securing only 4.9 percent of the vote.
Faced with the CDU's unprecedented failure, Merz acknowledged that his party was not able to deliver "satisfactory answers to too many questions." ■