Before the elections: What election day means for the chancellor crisis
The Chancellor has so far received backing from the powerful CDU Prime Ministers. However, this does not mean he is out of the woods yet. The cards will be reshuffled on Sunday.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing a critical situation after his party, the CDU, suffered a significant defeat in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt. Despite the support of eight CDU minister-presidents, Merz's position remains uncertain, with many in the party questioning his leadership. The CDU's performance in upcoming state elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin will be crucial in determining Merz's fate, with the party facing the possibility of falling below the 5% threshold in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and losing power in Berlin.
A poor result could lead to Merz's ousting, with potential successors including Hendrik Wüst, Markus Söder, and Boris Rhein.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
