German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged on Wednesday to continue reforms and rejected any alternative to his coalition with the center-left Social Democrats, DPA reported.
"Germany has the strength for a new beginning and I am personally determined to make this possible with my government," he said at an event of his conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in his hometown of Arnsberg.
German media recently reported that some members of the CDU leadership have discussed whether another conservative politician should replace Merz as chancellor. Merz, who also leads the CDU, has not commented directly.
The chancellor said that public debate in Germany often gives the impression that the country is "completely blocked", unable to change through its own efforts and facing inevitable decline.
He said he would resist that perception, although he wished his conservative-led coalition government with the Social Democrats (SPD) had achieved more in its first year in power.
However, he said there was no realistic alternative to the alliance in parliament. "I'm not looking for any alternatives," Merz said.
Merz referred to Germany's post-war reconstruction, urging the country to show greater confidence in the future.
At the time, Germany was in ruins, he said, but political leaders had still found "the courage to shape a new future."
"Why do we no longer believe today that we will make good plans for the future?" Merz asked the audience, urging Germans to focus again on what they are capable of achieving.