Merz Faces Pressure After CDU State Election Losses as AfD Advances
publishers 4articles 5first reported 24 Sep, 13:22 UTCdeveloping since 25 Sep · 3 editions
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing growing political pressure after poor state election results for his centre-right Christian Democratic Union, while the far-right Alternative for Germany has gained ground.
Reuters reported that the AfD led in the latest contest and that Merz described the result as a “disaster,” with the CDU suffering its worst state election result in postwar Germany. Al Jazeera said the party had recently lost one state election and sustained a particularly heavy defeat in another.
Merz has served as chancellor for less than a year and a half, but his approval ratings have fallen to record lows, according to Al Jazeera. German media have attributed the CDU’s difficulties in part to weak campaigning, Merz’s coalition with the Social Democrats and the party’s limited appeal among younger voters compared with the AfD.
The New York Times also focused on Merz’s struggle to retain voter support. Al Jazeera’s commentary argued that broader dissatisfaction with economic stagnation, deindustrialisation and years of austerity has contributed to the AfD’s rise.
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