Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Elections campaigns are closing in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin ahead of elections on Sunday
- The elections are particularly in the spotlight as a gauge of the strength of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which won a recent state election by a landslide
- A port union has warned that seaports are at significant risk of cyberattacks and sabotage
- The famous Oktoberfest opens in the Bavarian capital, Munich
- Annual anti-abortion marches are to take place in Berlin and Cologne, with some Catholic bishops expected to participate
Here is a roundup of the top headlines from and about Germany on the weekend of September 19-20, 2026:
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Skip next section Oktoberfest set to begin in Munich09/19/2026September 19, 2026
Oktoberfest set to begin in Munich
The world-famous Oktoberfest will kick off in Munich on Saturday with a traditional ceremony where the city’s mayor taps a first barrel of beer — the liquid focus of the event.
New Munich Mayor Dominik Krause of the Green Party will open the 191st edition on the Theresienwiese festival grounds in the center of the Bavarian city at noon (1000 GMT).
Read this DW preview for everything you need to know about Oktoberfest 2026.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MstnSkip next section Campaigns wrap up ahead of Sunday elections09/19/2026September 19, 2026
Campaigns wrap up ahead of Sunday elections
Parties vying for power in Sunday’s elections in two German states are wrapping up their campaigns with several events.
In the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the leftist environmentalistGreen Party are both holding large rallies.
In Berlin, the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) of Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) will also be staging big events.
Other parties concluded their campaigns on Friday.
Many voters undecided
This comes as a large proportion of voters in both states seem unsure about who they will cast their ballot for.
According to the “Politbarometer Extra” survey by public-service broadcaster ZDF, 21% of voters in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and 23% in Berlin remained undecided as of Thursday evening.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a tight contest is expected between the AfD and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), while the Greens are polling around the 5% needed to enter the state parliament at all.
The state is currently governed by a SPD-Left coalition under Premier Manuela Schwesig of the SPD.
In Berlin, surveys show the CDU in a neck-and-neck race with The Left party, while the BSW could fall below the 5% parliamentary threshold.
Berlin’s government currently consists of a coalition between the CDU and the SPD under CDU Mayor Kai Wegner.
Merz’s future at stake
Results from the elections could have repercussions at federal level, with Merz’s political future under debate after his CDU’s drubbing at the hands of the AfD in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks ago.
Surveys in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have shown the CDU polling at just 6%.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5MstESkip next section Welcome to our coverage09/19/2026September 19, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Timothy Jones | Karl Sexton Editor
Guten Morgen! You join our coverage of all things German as attention across the country is focused on two elections on Sunday: in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the city-state of Berlin.
The parties involved in the polls are holding a last day of campaign events, with particularly the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) under scrutiny after its major win in another eastern state, Saxony-Anhalt, two weeks ago.
But events in the far south of Germany will also be in the spotlight on Saturday as the world-famous Oktoberfest in Munich belies its name once more to get underway in September.
And two major so-called “pro-life” demonstrations will be taking place in Berlin and Cologne, with counterprotests also expected.
Read on here to find out more about happenings in Germany this weekend.
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