Friedrich Merz may step down as Chancellor of Germany after the regional elections in September, in which the ruling CDU party faces a risk of defeat, writes the German tabloid Bild, reports Focus.
According to the publication, almost no one in the CDU leadership believes that Merz will remain in office until Christmas. One of the influential members of the party told the magazine Der Spiegel that the chancellor will have to resign no later than September 21, the day after the elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
According to information from Bild, a scenario is being discussed in which several regional prime ministers from the CDU will simultaneously call on Merz to resign “in the interest of the country and the party“.
The most likely successor is the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst. According to the publication, the candidacies of Markus Söder and Alexander Dobrindt are not considered a realistic option.
The publication also claims that the loss of Merz's authority within the CDU leadership is considered irreversible. At a recent parliamentary group meeting, he was criticized by about 20 MPs, without anyone publicly coming to his defense.
The government's falling ratings, unfavorable polls for the CDU, and chaotic personnel changes in the government and parliamentary group are cited as reasons for the dissatisfaction.
According to surveys cited by Bild in Saxony-Anhalt, the "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) party is receiving 41% support compared to 24% for the CDU, according to data from MDR and Welt. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the AfD is on 36%, the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) on 29% and the CDU on just 9%, according to an Infratest dimap survey published by NDR.
Reuters also reported that the AfD is ahead of the CDU/CSU bloc in national ratings, with 27% to 21%. According to the agency, only 15% of Germans are satisfied with Chancellor Friedrich Merz's performance.