CDU Wraps Up Crisis Retreat, Söder Backs Merz
Party leaders spent two days debating how to win back voters after a string of heavy defeats in state elections. Whether the chancellor can regain his footing and where the party is headed in the long run remain open questions.
Berlin, October 12th, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – German Christian Democrats are attempting to navigate an existential crisis following a series of electoral setbacks in September. The party's leadership has been discussing potential solutions to this crisis, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Secretary General Franziska Hoppermann presenting a paper outlining concrete steps to address the party's issues at their leadership retreat.
The retreat aimed to bring the party closer to the "reality of people's lives," a goal that Hoppermann emphasized at the beginning of the talks. Marking an unprecedented low for the Union, polls showed the CDU's support falling below 20 percent, down from a 28.5 percent share in the federal election earlier that year. The party's retreat also involved discussions about whether the government should maintain its reform agenda, including pensions, long-term care, and healthcare, and whether the CDU needs to become more conservative to regain voter support.
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