Friedrich Merz under pressure after CDU election losses

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced growing pressure after his centre-right CDU suffered regional election defeats in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin.

Merz called the CDU result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania a “disaster” after exit polls on Sunday. In the ongoing count, the party had fallen below five percent, a level that would leave it outside the state parliament.

The anti-immigration AfD came first in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The centre-left SPD looked set to continue governing the state by forming a coalition with left-wing allies.

The CDU was also defeated by Die Linke in Berlin. Merz said trust in Germany’s institutions was waning and being undermined by radical parties on the left and right.

“What needs to be done now requires backbone, steadfastness and patience,” Merz said. “I will demonstrate this as CDU party chairman and, above all, as chancellor of our country.”

Merz has cleared his calendar for the following days and skipped a trip to New York for the UN General Assembly as he deals with the fallout from the votes.

Political scientist Oliver Lembcke of Ruhr University Bochum told AFP that Merz’s early address was an attempt to define the narrative and prevent a personnel debate from gathering momentum. ING bank economist Carsten Brzeski said the appearance should be read as an attempt to choke off speculation about a possible resignation.

Merz has faced rumours for weeks that his CDU/CSU bloc may try to oust him. Names floated as possible successors include North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Hendrik Wuest and Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder, but no contender has made an open move.

Merz took office in May last year promising to revive the economy, rebuild the military and reduce irregular immigration. AFP reported that the AfD leads nationwide polls and that Merz’s personal approval ratings are just above 10 percent.