Merz calls for coalition’s unity as he warns of threats facing Germany
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaking at the Christian Social Union party congress in Munich on Oct 24.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for unity in his coalition and warned that Germany faces threats from extremists and Russian efforts to “destabilise Germany on a daily basis.”
- His remarks came after poor regional election results, falling approval ratings, and rising tension between the CDU, CSU, SPD and Greens.
- Merz rejected any cooperation with the AfD, urged reforms to pensions, tax and welfare, and said these changes are needed to revive the economy and trust.
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BERLIN – Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for unity in his struggling coalition on Oct 24, saying Germany faced growing threats from political extremists and what he described as daily Russian efforts to destabilise the country.
Speaking at a conference of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of his conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), Merz said Germany faced “extraordinarily serious challenges”.
“How do we safeguard our freedom and our security in Europe, in the face of growing threats from extremists within and foreign powers from without?” he said, adding that Russia was seeking “to destabilise Germany on a daily basis”.
Relations between Berlin and Moscow have fallen to their lowest level since the Cold War following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine but Russia rejects accusations that it is conducting a hybrid campaign against Germany and other European countries.
Merz’s comments follow weeks of tension with the ruling coalition after heavy regional election defeats in eastern Germany, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came first in two states and the far-left Left Party (Die Linke) topped the poll in Berlin.
Merz’s approval ratings have fallen to record lows, while tensions have surfaced both between the coalition partners and between the CDU and CSU.
The two conservative sister parties have a long history of disagreements but have generally managed to overcome them.
On Oct 24, delegates broke into loud applause when Merz mentioned Ilse Aigner, the CSU politician the party has proposed as successor to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is due to step down in 2027.
The CDU has so far stopped short of endorsing Aigner, and party sources say it has not abandoned hopes of putting forward its own candidate for the largely ceremonial post of head of state.
Merz, who entered the conference hall to a Bavarian brass band playing The Eye Of The Tiger, praised CSU ministers in the government and paid tribute to CSU leader Markus Soeder.
But he repeated his rejection of calls from some conservatives to seek ways of cooperating with the AfD, which leads national opinion polls, saying any politician who voted with the party “has no place in our Union”.
He also urged the Social Democrats and Greens not to form a coalition in Berlin with the Left Party, which he accused of tolerating anti-Semitism within its ranks. The Left Party denies any systemic anti-Semitism in the party.
Merz said rapid reforms to Germany’s pension, tax and welfare systems were essential to revive the economy and restore confidence in public institutions. REUTERS