German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Faces Pressure Amid Far-Right Gains

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's position is under threat as the far-right surges in popularity and support for his own center-right party declines.

Merz canceled a planned trip to New York next week to represent his country at the United Nations General Assembly. He faces pressure following the far-right AfD's landslide state election victory in Saxony-Anhalt last week, which came at the expense of Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. Merz's poll ratings have fallen sharply; a Deutschlandtrend survey in early September showed only 13% of respondents believed he was doing a good job.

A YouGov poll published Thursday indicated 48% of Germans expect Merz to leave office by the end of 2026, with only 31% believing he will remain. His government is grappling with a weak economy, and many voters are disillusioned with delays in implementing financial and tax reforms. Veteran journalist Kerstin Münstermann described a genuine crisis of authority and leadership within the CDU.

Germany endured three consecutive years of economic stagnation and recession before GDP grew 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter of 2026. In August, over 3 million people were unemployed, an increase of 36,000 from the previous year. Merz's coalition approved a 34-point economic reform package in July, including austerity measures, tax cuts, and pension changes, but this drew public criticism. Merz has prioritized defense, pledging to build the strongest conventional army in Europe.