German chancellor Friedrich Merz faced another set of disastrous elections on Sunday. In the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, his party faces annihilation.

• Exit polls put them at just 5.5 percent of the vote. If they fall below 5 percent in the actual results, they will receive no seats in the state parliament—an epic collapse for a party that was the state’s largest two decades ago.

Instead, the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party has gained a narrow victory. It is projected to beat the Social Democrats by 1.5 percent.

Meanwhile in Berlin, the Left party—the rebranded Communist party of East Germany—won the largest share of the vote and will probably provide the mayor.

• The Left is every bit as radical as the AfD. In fact, their victory prompted Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, to speak out. The Left has called for an “intifada” against Israel and had crowds chant “Death to the idf” at campaign rallies.

Addressing the nation just after the exit polls were published, Merz confessed that the results “cannot be sugarcoated and … are a disaster.” He was due to travel to the U.S. this week to address the UN and receive an award but canceled the trip to stay home and fight for his political survival.

Europe is waking up to the danger posed by a militarily strong Germany, where the AfD is gaining massive support. “Germany’s military rebuild is making its neighbors nervous,” warned the Wall Street Journal over the weekend. Germany’s fast-paced rearmament is rekindling a century-old debate about how much hard power Berlin should have.

• The unease is becoming more acute as the AfD tops opinion polls. This party has embraced Moscow and wants to end what it calls Germany’s “culture of guilt” around its Nazi-era crimes.

Parts of what is now Poland belonged to Germany before World War ii, and AfD politicians have indicated they want it back. Fifteen years ago, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said, “I fear German power less than I am beginning to fear German inactivity.” Now he’s singing a different tune: “We remember all too well where a rearmed Germany in the hands of a far-right, pro-Russian party can lead.”

Meanwhile, Germany is building up its own arms industry and doing little to share the wealth with other European arms manufacturers.

“Germany wants to claim leadership; it isn’t always making great efforts in keeping its partners happy,” said former nato Assistant Secretary General Camille Grand.

Germany is rising fast. With the nation once again descending into political chaos as before the Nazis came to power, it could have a strongman in place quickly. Our free booklet A Strong German Leader Is Imminent explains the Bible’s prophecies that a strongman will rise to power out of this chaos.