Merz Says Europe's Security Outweighs Questions About His Future

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged colleagues to set aside debates about his political future, saying the protection of Europe is entering a decisive phase in the weeks and months ahead.

Speaking at an Arctic summit in Finland, Merz said Germany's fate is so closely tied to the European continent that foreign security policy cannot be separated from domestic debates. He said he was trying to convince his party, its parliamentary group and his allies that this issue matters more than some of the domestic arguments currently underway.

His comments come a year after he took office, with his position and reform programme under strain. His conservatives were heavily defeated by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in a state election last week. In an increasingly polarised political landscape, Merz has become a focal point for voter anger over living costs, pensions and economic insecurity, and his personal approval ratings have fallen to record lows.

There was some relief over the weekend when his CDU topped municipal elections in the northwestern state of Lower Saxony with 27.2% of the vote. The Social Democrats, its coalition partner, took 24.6%, while the AfD reached third place with 15.9%. The CDU's state leader welcomed the result but said a political shift was needed in Berlin, citing high energy and housing costs and dissatisfaction with the capital.

A sterner test lies ahead on Sunday, when two more states vote. The AfD is tipped to lead the poll in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while Berlin also goes to the polls. Last week, the AfD came close to winning outright in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt and could yet form a government there, which would be the first time a far-right party has done so in postwar Germany.

The results have raised questions over whether Merz has become an electoral liability and whether he will be forced to change course on a reform programme he says will revive sluggish growth in Europe's largest economy. A weekend poll by INSA found that 78% of people do not think Merz should be chancellor, including 58% of his own party's voters, with 36% still backing him.

The AfD has called for a 180-degree turn in Germany's policy towards Russia, urging Berlin to restore ties with Moscow, regain access to cheap Russian energy and halt aid for Ukraine. Germany has been Ukraine's biggest donor in Europe since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Merz said he would not go back "one centimetre" on Berlin's policy, acknowledging the reservations held in parts of the country but warning that a Russian victory would have unprecedented consequences for all, including Germany.

Clara von Nathusius, treasurer of the CDU's youth wing, said the party had a credibility problem. She told a broadcaster that while it did not hinge solely on Merz, his role played a part, and that she believed no more elections could be won with this chancellor.