Vor den nächsten Wahlen: Union sinkt auf historisches Tief – Warnung vor Untergang

As the polls draw near in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin, the Union is facing one of its worst-ever scores, according to a nationwide YouGov survey. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is projected to win 29% of the vote, if the Bundestag elections were held on Sunday, while the Greens and the SPD are expected to secure 16% and 13% respectively.

The Left Party, the Free Democratic Party, and the BSW are forecasted to garner 10%, 5%, and 4% of the vote respectively. The upcoming landtag elections on Sunday will also determine the political future of Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who is struggling with growing loss of authority within his party. Merz recently invited the CDU party bureau to Berlin for a formal meeting to discuss the results and their implications.

There are rumors that Merz could be ousted by the CDU state leaders. Bremen CDU Landesvorsteher Heiko Strohmann warned of the risk of a nationwide collapse of the Union, stating that the situation in the East German party landscape could potentially repeat itself in cities like Duisburg and Bremen. He urged his party and Chancellor Merz to better understand the concerns of people in Eastern Germany and take their issues seriously.

Merz himself sees himself more as a symptom than a cause of the CDU's problems, emphasizing that if the current trend continues, he foresees significant challenges for the Union in the broader societal process that is unfolding globally. CDU faction leader Frank Bommert of Brandenburg expressed growing base pressure on Merz, demanding quick solutions and rejecting "Sunday speeches."

However, he does not believe a Merz resignation would be beneficial, as it might merely provide temporary relief without addressing the underlying issues. The federal government must now take active measures. Bommert called for giving Merz a chance to resolve these problems, but not demanding a new election as long as a government remains in power.

Pressure is mounting on Merz ahead of the next elections. Merz's poor performance in Saxony-Anhalt has increased the pressure on him to remain within the party. Recently, there have been rumors of a potential Chancellor swap, with Hendrik Wüst of North Rhine-Westphalia (CDU) and Markus Söder of Bavaria (CSU) being the main candidates.

However, Merz has clearly stated that he does not consider resignation an option. Two potential successors have been discussed in recent weeks - North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) and Bavaria's State Premier Markus Söder (CSU).