Key facts
- Eight German state premiers have backed CDU leader Friedrich Merz amid speculation about his political future.
- The premiers stated that restoring trust in the party requires 'listening and taking political action, not in debates over personnel'.
- Merz faces poor approval ratings while the AfD party is surging in popularity.
- The AfD reached 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, with the CDU at 17.2%.
- Merz described the AfD as a 'destructive force' whose migration policy amounted to 'ethnic cleansing' of skilled workers.
- The AfD is filing a defamation complaint against Merz over his remarks.
Leaders of eight German states have publicly backed Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and chancellor, amid growing speculation about his political future. The premiers, all members of the CDU, issued a statement emphasizing that restoring trust in their party requires "listening and taking political action, not in debates over personnel." Merz, who has led the CDU for 16 months, is facing declining approval ratings and a significant surge in support for the anti-immigration, far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. This has led to questions about his viability as leader and whether he is an electoral liability.
The AfD's rise was starkly demonstrated in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, where it secured 43.8% of the vote, while the CDU fell to 17.2% – the first time since World War Two that a far-right party has come close to controlling a German state. Merz responded to this loss by calling the AfD a "destructive force" whose migration policy amounted to an "ethnic cleansing" of skilled workers. The AfD has since announced it is filing a defamation complaint against Merz for these remarks.
Despite Merz's abrasive communication style and personal unpopularity, with only 14% of Germans believing he is the right person for the job according to a recent Bild poll, the eight state premiers stressed the need for stability. They stated that "Germany's political landscape needs stability" and that the country requires a "stable and effective federal government with its own majority in the Bundestag." Markus Söder, the premier of Bavaria and leader of the CDU's sister party the CSU, has also publicly supported Merz.
Further tests for Merz's leadership are expected from state elections on Sunday in Berlin and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, where the AfD is predicted to make further gains. While the race in Berlin is tighter, with the CDU, AfD, and Greens closely polling, the AfD is leading in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. Potential successors to Merz, such as Hendrik Wüst and Alexander Dobrindt, are already being discussed within the party.