German Chancellor Merz refuses to resign after historic CDU election defeat
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (photo: Getty Images)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he has no plans to resign despite his party's crushing defeat in the local elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the BBC reported.
According to preliminary results, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won just 4.9% of the vote. It failed to clear the 5% threshold required to enter the state parliament.
The German chancellor has already called the result a "disaster" for his political party.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came first in the election in the federal state, receiving 33.3% of the vote.
Statement on resignation
Merz told reporters at the party's Berlin headquarters on Sunday, September 20, that he would continue implementing the coalition government's plans for a package of economic, tax and social reforms.
"The reforms have to come. I am taking on this responsibility, because I want to move our country forward. What needs to be done now requires backbone, steadfastness and patience. I will demonstrate this as CDU party chairman and, above all, as chancellor of our country," he said.
The BBC noted that the CDU leader went on the offensive, saying that he was not going anywhere. The media outlet wrote that Merz had long dreamed of holding the highest office in German politics and was unlikely to give it up so easily.
Despite Merz's assurances that he will remain in office, pressure on him is rapidly growing due to low approval ratings among the public. Media reports have fueled speculation that the chancellor could be replaced by a more popular politician even without an early election.
Amid the crisis, on the evening of September 20, the head of government convened a meeting of the CDU presidium to discuss the level of support he has within his party.
On September 7, the far-right AfD won the election in Saxony-Anhalt. Merz said the development was a serious shock for Germany.
Former Ukrainian consul in Munich and chancellor of the Ukrainian Free University Dmytro Shevchenko said that an AfD victory in local elections could eventually affect support for Ukraine and Ukrainians in Germany.
