Two state elections pile more pressure on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — raising fresh questions about his leadership and what a weaker Germany could mean for the rest of Europe. Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur also look at the growing fear over Russian hybrid attacks, as EU foreign ministers meet on the sidelines of the […]
State elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern demonstrate Germany's further dissatisfaction with the political mainstream. Both results pile pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have dealt the CDU a historic defeat while the AfD saw a massive gain. The pressure on Germany's unpopular chancellor is mounting.
Deutsche Welle20 Sept
Berlin correspondent Jess Parker explains why German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to stay on despite exit polls in two local elections suggesting damaging defeats for his centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party.
BBC20 Sept
Far-right AfD wins in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and leftwing Die Linke on course for victory in Berlin Germany’s embattled chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has vowed to stay in office and fight for future-proofing economic changes despite heavy losses for his conservatives in two state elections, one to the far right and the other to a leftwing party. Preliminary results indicated Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) tallied just over the 5% threshold to enter the state parliament in the coastal region of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, its worst-ever state score, which he called a “disaster”. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Deborah Cole in Berlin20 Sept
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suffered a bruising electoral setback in two state elections on Sunday, including a historic defeat for his party, but vowed to press ahead with potentially painful reforms to Europe's biggest economy.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has faced a major electoral setback in two state elections, with his center-right party losing ground. The far-right Alternative for Germany party made significant gains.
NPR•The Associated Press20 Sept
German voters have delivered a fresh setback to Chancellor Friedrich Merz in two key regional elections.
Elections in eastern Germany on Sunday appeared to show gains for the Alternative for Germany and bad news for the party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The New York Times•Jim Tankersley20 Sept
Under-pressure German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has described a state election result as a "disaster" but vowed to stay in office.
Sky News20 SeptGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday described his CDU party's heavy losses in two regional elections as a "disaster", but vowed to push ahead with a reform drive. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party took first place in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, exit polls showed, and also gained in strength in another election in Berlin.
Two German states are heading to the polls today – in Berlin and the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The far-right AfD party is expected to make further gains after securing a historic win in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks ago, though it has no realistic path to power in Berlin. Sunday's vote is a key test for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, one that could determine whether he can hold on to power. Details with Jamie Smith-Maillet, FRANCE 24 international affairs editor.
Polling is underway in the German capital Berlin and the largely rural state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for regional elections. Both elections are seen as a test for Germany's centre-right Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He has already scheduled a crisis meeting and decided to skip this week's UN General Assembly to deal with the potential fallout. Could he be forced to step down based on the election’s results? Details and analysis by Yann Wernert, senior policy fellow at the Jacques Delors Centre in Berlin.
Polling stations have opened for two German regional elections that could impact Chancellor Friedrich Merz's hold on power
Germany will cut taxes on gasoline and diesel by about 17 cents a litre from October, the government said Friday. The move aims to gain temporary relief for motorists as fuel prices surge above €2 a litre and contribute to growing pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing a "crisis of authority and leadership" as immigration concerns fuel a far-right rise.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing record low approval ratings which embolden his opponents. How can a chancellor be removed from office in Germany? There are three options.
Deutsche Welle18 Sept
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and four other leaders compete with Spanish finance minister in POLITICO articles signaling EU budget deal is still far off.
With far-right and far-left forces poised to take votes from the Christian Democrats, pressure is building on German chancellor Friedrich Merz. Sunday's state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania could make or break the leader's prospects of political survival.
Rekordpreise an den Zapfsäulen und der Kanzler versucht sein Standing zu retten, auch indem er Entlastung verspricht. Doch die Koalition streitet über das richtige Rezept zur Entlastung.Während SPD-Finanzminister Lars Klingbeil auf eine saubere Gegenfinanzierung pocht, will Friedrich Merz direkte Auszahlungen an die Bevölkerung. Für ihn steht nach bitteren Wahlniederlagen in Sachsen-Anhalt viel auf dem Spiel: […]