Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's State Premier and top candidate of the Social Democratic SPD party Manuela Schwesig sits at her place for a TV debate at the television studio in Schwerin on September 20, 2026, after regional elections in the northeastern federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. (Photo by Marcus Brandt / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's State Premier and top candidate of the Social Democratic SPD party Manuela Schwesig arrives for a TV debate at the television studio in Schwerin on September 20, 2026, after regional elections in the northeastern federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. (Photo by Marcus Brandt / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

The top candidate of the left-wing Die Linke (The Left) party Simone Oldenburg in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's State elections sits at het place prior a TV debate at the television studio in Schwerin on September 20, 2026, after regional elections in the northeastern federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. (Photo by Marcus Brandt / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's State Premier and top candidate of the social democratic SPD party Manuela Schwesig (L) speaks on stage after the announcement of the first exit poll results on public television at the SPD's election party in the Schwerin Castle, on September 20, 2026, following north-eastern Germany's Mecklenburg-Western-Pomerania's state elections. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP via Getty Images)

Supporters cheer after the announcement of the first exit poll results on public television at the electoral evening event of Germany's The Left (Die Linke) party following Berlin's state elections in Festsaal Kreuzberg in Berlin on September 20, 2026. (Photo by Jens SCHLUETER / AFP via Getty Images)

Supporters cheer after the announcement of the first exit poll results on public television at the electoral evening event of Germany's The Left (Die Linke) party following Berlin's state elections in Festsaal Kreuzberg in Berlin on September 20, 2026. (Photo by Jens SCHLUETER / AFP via Getty Images)

Supporters cheer after the announcement of the first exit poll results on public television at the electoral evening event of Germany's The Left (Die Linke) party following Berlin's state elections in Festsaal Kreuzberg in Berlin on September 20, 2026. (Photo by Jens SCHLUETER / AFP via Getty Images)

Candidate for State Premier of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Leif-Erik Holm (L) and co-chair of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Mecklenburg-Western-Pomerania Enrico Schult react after the announcement of the first exit poll results on public television at the AfD's election party following Mecklenburg-Western-Pomerania's state elections in Schwerin, north-eastern Germany on September 20, 2026. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP via Getty Images)