German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is under increasing political pressure after a sharp decline in support for his government and a major defeat for his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the Saxony-Anhalt state election. The CDU is also polling at 7% ahead of the September 20 election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, according to the supplied source, raising the possibility that it could fail to clear the 5% threshold for representation in the state parliament.
The Saxony-Anhalt election was won by the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which the source says has been classified as “confirmed right-wing extremist” by the state’s domestic intelligence agency. The result has intensified debate in Berlin over whether Merz is responsible for the CDU’s losses, including questions about his communication style and his handling of proposed reforms such as changes to the state pension system.
Government members have openly acknowledged a lack of trust in the cabinet. Education Minister Karin Prien, a CDU politician, told public broadcaster ARD that many people believed Merz and the CDU/CSU lacked empathy. Trade union representatives also reacted angrily after Merz criticized public attitudes toward a four-day workweek and work-life balance, comments they interpreted as accusing Germans of being lazy.
The CDU’s coalition partner, the center-left Social Democratic Party, has also expressed concern. SPD Parliamentary Secretary Dirk Wiese said on Welt TV that nerves appeared frayed within the CDU and urged the coalition partner to return to cooperation and improve its performance.
Yet there is no clear replacement if Merz were to leave office. Bavaria’s state premier and CSU leader Markus Söder is considered a possible candidate but is described as lacking broad support because of his frequent provocations. North Rhine-Westphalia Premier Hendrik Wüst is another potential successor, although he plans to seek reelection next April and has shown little interest in moving to Berlin.
All eight CDU state premiers said in a joint statement that they continued to support Merz, arguing that Germany needed stability and that voter confidence should be rebuilt through listening and political action rather than internal personnel debates. The source says Merz may convene the CDU executive committee after the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania election to seek renewed backing, while his decision to cancel a planned trip to the United Nations General Assembly underlines the seriousness of the situation.