Merz Faces Growing Pressure After CDU Reshuffle

Pressure on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz intensified after a cabinet reshuffle sparked criticism, including from within his own CDU.

The reshuffle was triggered by Jens Spahn's resignation as leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group after he revealed that he and his husband had become parents through surrogacy in the United States, a practice prohibited in Germany and opposed by the CDU. Merz's subsequent personnel changes prompted resistance from party branches in Rhineland-Palatinate and eastern Germany.

Merz's approval ratings have fallen to record lows. According to the latest polls, only 15 percent of Germans are satisfied with his performance, while the CDU/CSU is on 21%, trailing the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which leads with 27%.

The AfD's growing support poses a significant challenge ahead of September's state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Polls also indicate that, for the first time, more voters believe the AfD is better equipped than the conservatives to solve Germany's problems.

Although Merz hopes tensions will ease before the Bundestag returns in September, a narrow vote to confirm Thorsten Frei as leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group could expose divisions within his own ranks and further undermine his authority.

(Reuters, Max)