Friedrich Merz seeks party support amid German election challenges

Germany’s governing conservative bloc is set to hold a special party meeting on Sunday, with senior figures expected to address recent electoral setbacks and reaffirm support for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a party insider said.

The gathering follows the Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU) disappointing result in the Saxony‑Anhalt state election, where the far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came close to winning an outright majority. The outcome has intensified internal criticism of Merz’s leadership.

At the national level, polling for the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), shows support between 18 % and 20 %, a sharp decline from the parties’ performance in last year’s federal election and trailing behind the AfD. A recent INSA poll indicates that a majority of CDU supporters no longer view Merz as the right person for the job, and 78 % of the broader public share the same view.

The Sunday meeting is intended to coordinate the parties’ response to two further state votes scheduled for the same day in Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania and Berlin, to chart a strategy amid record‑low support, and to demonstrate unity behind Merz’s leadership.

Critics within the CDU warn that another poor showing in the upcoming state elections could increase pressure on the chancellor, heightening calls for a reassessment of his position at the helm of the party.