Germany’s Merz girds for a post-election fight for political survival

Key Points:

• Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing intense pressure over his political survival as two regional elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin threaten to deliver historic losses for his CDU party.
• Polls indicate the CDU could collapse to just 7% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, risking exclusion from the state parliament, while in Berlin the party trails the far-left Die Linke and risks losing control of the city government.
• Merz has canceled a planned UN speech and scheduled a CDU leadership meeting on election day to rally support and present a plan for recovery amid widespread internal concerns.
• In response to declining approval ratings, Merz is softening his stance on fuel price relief and early retirement reforms, while acknowledging the need to better connect emotionally with voters.
• Despite some public backing from CDU state premiers, including potential successor Hendrik Wüst, significant dissent remains within the party, especially among its youth wing, who openly criticize Merz’s leadership.