Merz Rejects Calls to Change Course on Russia

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on colleagues to look beyond questions about his political future on Monday, warning that the protection of Europe was entering a decisive phase.

A year after taking office, Merz is under mounting pressure after his conservatives were heavily defeated by the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in a state election last week. His personal approval ratings have also fallen to record lows.

Merz has nevertheless rejected calls for a change of course on Russia and Ukraine. The AfD is pushing for renewed ties with Moscow, access to cheap Russian energy and an end to aid for Kyiv.

The chancellor said he would “not go back one centimetre” on Germany’s policy, warning that a Russian victory would have “unprecedented consequences for all of us, including Germany”.

Merz gained some relief over the weekend after his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) topped municipal elections in Lower Saxony. The party faces two more state elections on Sunday, however, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin.

Pressure is also growing within his own party. An INSA poll conducted over the weekend found that 78% of respondents did not think Merz should be chancellor. Even among CDU voters, 58% no longer wanted him in office, compared with 36% who continued to back him.

(Reuters, mja)