(de-news.net) – Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has received public backing from the Union parties’ parliamentary leader Thorsten Frei and the CDU’s eight state premiers following the Saxony-Anhalt election and ahead of votes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. Frei defended Merz’s domestic focus, called for rapid fuel-price relief and rejected an excess-profit tax. Former Hesse premier Roland Koch argued against a leadership change, attributing the CDU’s difficulties to policy pressures, the coalition and voter disappointment while expressing confidence in Merz’s longer-term tenure.
Thorsten Frei, the leader of the CDU parliamentary group, says Merz can continue to rely on the support of the Union faction in the Bundestag. Frei emphasized that the CDU and CSU understood that the difficulties facing the governing coalition would have to be addressed jointly with the SPD. Ultimately, he said, the coalition’s success would depend on whether it could make tangible progress on the substantive issues confronting the country. With Merz having been elected to a four-year term, Frei also expressed certitude that Merz would remain both Federal Chancellor and chair of the CDU after the upcoming state elections.
Frei also defended Merz’s decision to cancel his planned trip to the UN General Assembly, explaining that the Chancellor’s presence in Germany was currently required because of pressing domestic priorities. He rejected the interpretation that Merz was staying in Berlin to protect his position as Chancellor. Instead, Frei pointed to a substantial agenda involving health care, long-term care, pensions and the federal budget, all of which require political attention. Although he acknowledged that polling figures and election results could affect the CDU’s internal condition, he maintained that the immediate focus should remain on making progress in policy. Germany, in his assessment, was suffering from too little reform rather than too much.
At the same time, Frei renewed his call for rapid relief for consumers as fuel prices continue to rise sharply. He argued that measures should be introduced by Oct. 1, including another reduction in the energy tax modeled on the earlier fuel discount or a reduction in the value-added tax on fuel from 19 percent to 7 percent. His argument centered in part on the state’s increased VAT revenue when fuel prices rise, making it reasonable, in his view, to return some of that additional revenue to consumers. Frei again rejected proposals from the SPD for an excess-profit tax. He also said that he did not expect the underlying situation in the Persian Gulf, which he identified as a major factor behind the price developments, to improve rapidly.
CDU premiers call for unity as Koch rejects leadership change
Against this backdrop, the CDU’s eight state premiers called for greater unity as the party faced renewed internal tensions following its performance in Saxony-Anhalt and ahead of elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. Their joint statement argued that Germany needed political stability and that restoring public confidence in the Christian Democrats would require listening and concrete political action rather than renewed debates over personnel. The state premiers also emphasized dependability, decisive action and cooperation with democratic political forces. At the same time, they pledged to work jointly with Merz to address problems affecting voters in their daily lives.
The statement was issued as speculation about a possible change in the chancellorship was gaining momentum. CDU leadership meetings had been scheduled around the state elections, with a meeting of the CDU presidency planned for Sunday, further discussions among the party leadership on Monday and a meeting of the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag on Tuesday. Merz, meanwhile, had canceled his planned journey to the UN General Assembly because his presence in Berlin was considered necessary. The concentration of party meetings and elections over several days has consequently placed renewed attention on the Chancellor’s political position.
Roland Koch, a former minister-president of Hesse and longtime adviser and associate of Merz, had also spoken out against replacing the Chancellor. He argued that the CDU faced a fundamental choice between maintaining its course through a difficult period and attempting to resolve political problems through changes in personnel. Based on his assessment of previous situations in Germany and Europe, Koch regarded the latter approach as unlikely to produce particularly strong results. For him, the central question was therefore whether the party would maintain its direction under pressure or seek a political solution through a change at the top.
Koch acknowledged that Merz was operating under exceptionally difficult political circumstances. He argued that the decision to take on additional debt at the beginning of Merz’s term had been historically necessary, while also recognizing that many voters viewed the move as a breach of an election commitment. The Union’s ability to fulfill voters’ expectations quickly and comprehensively had been further complicated by its governing alliance with the SPD. According to Koch, the CDU was therefore experiencing an especially difficult phase in the debate over its political direction. He nevertheless argued that the party could navigate the situation and eventually reach calmer political conditions if it retained the strength and determination to stay its course rather than make decisions under the pressure of immediate political anxiety.
Koch continues to regard Merz as the appropriate Chancellor for Germany’s current international circumstances. He expressed the conviction that Merz should remain in office for a long period, and that his tenure could extend well beyond the present period of political difficulty. In Koch’s assessment, the central challenge for the CDU was therefore how to manage the current period of uncertainty rather than trying to resolve challenges through a change in the chancellorship.
