World
CDU state leaders back Friedrich Merz and reject minority government scenarios
The eight CDU minister-presidents called for stability and a federal government with its own parliamentary majority. Their statement also sought to curb internal debate about replacing the chancellor.
The eight CDU minister-presidents issued a joint statement backing Friedrich Merz as he faces growing pressure inside his party after the regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, according to Der Spiegel.
The statement was signed by Daniel Günther, Michael Kretschmer, Boris Rhein, Gordon Schnieder, Sven Schulze, Mario Voigt, Kai Wegner and Hendrik Wüst. In it, they argued that Germany now needs stability and that the country requires a stable and effective federal government with its own majority in the Bundestag.
With that message, the state leaders of Schleswig-Holstein, Saxony, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia pushed back against ideas within the party about seeking a minority government and relying on shifting parliamentary majorities.
According to Der Spiegel, the statement also reaffirmed that the CDU is ready to work with all democratic forces, underscoring once again its distance from the AfD and from calls to open talks with that party.
The signatories added that rebuilding public trust in the CDU depends on listening and political action rather than arguments over personnel. In that context, they said they want to contribute alongside the chancellor by providing reliability and determined action.
The move was also aimed at countering demands for Merz to be replaced as head of government. Der Spiegel also reported that CSU leader Markus Söder was not asked to sign the statement, although he was said to have been informed about it. The magazine added that Söder had already indicated he expected Merz to receive backing from the CDU presidium.
People close to the chancellor said, according to Der Spiegel, that Merz welcomed the support from the minister-presidents. Merz himself said the current domestic political situation requires stability and credibility in the country’s renewal process.
Against that backdrop, Merz scheduled a meeting of the party presidium for Sunday evening after the elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin. He also canceled a planned trip to New York next week for the UN General Assembly general debate, apparently to shore up his position and coordinate with the SPD after the two state elections, Der Spiegel reported.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
