Chancellor Merz will not back down from reforms after CDU defeats — PBS NewsHour
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Berlin that he intends to remain in office and continue his reform course after elections in two states proved unsuccessful for his Christian Democratic Union. The politician described the CDU’s result in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as a catastrophe but rejected the possibility of retreating from the government’s plans.
Historically low CDU result
According to exit polls by public broadcaster ARD, the CDU received only 5% in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This is the party’s lowest result in an election in any German state since World War II. The Alternative for Germany party, which the source describes as anti-migration and friendly toward Russia, significantly strengthened its position.
In Berlin, according to the ARD exit poll, the CDU was projected to finish second with 20% of the vote. The Left Party was ahead with 24.5%.
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Merz insists on reforms
Merz said that difficult and potentially unpopular reforms have become even more urgent because of the country’s economic and political problems. He promised to continue working with firmness, resilience and patience, PBS NewsHour reports.
The chancellor’s position had already been weakened by the CDU’s defeat to Alternative for Germany in the September 6 election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. Over the past two weeks, calls have been heard within the party to replace Merz as chancellor, although his leading allies have not publicly demanded his resignation and have cautioned against discussions of personnel changes.
On the eve of a difficult post-election period, Merz canceled a planned trip to New York for the UN General Assembly. He had previously stated repeatedly that he intended to remain in office until the end of his term.
